1st Hurricane Likely To Form, Slam South: What To Know In GA

Forecasters are monitoring a tropical rainstorm that could transform into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, potentially impacting Georgia and other parts of the South.

The system has formed in the Gulf and is expected to develop into a hurricane in the next week, according to the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.

If this happens, the NWS' Peachtree City office said it is too early to tell if there will be any impacts to north and central Georgia. There is a 90 percent of formation in the next week, the NWS reported.

“The storm is already becoming better organized faster than expected, and the environment around it is becoming increasingly favorable for strengthening,” AccuWeather hurricane expert Nicholas Arman said Tuesday. “The warm waters in the Gulf will provide plenty of fuel, and winds high in the atmosphere are lining up in a way that could help the storm strengthen more efficiently.”

The eye of the tropical rainstorm is expected to trek through a small portion of Louisiana before reaching Mississippi and Alabama, according to a graphic by AccuWeather. The system could clip the Florida Panhandle, and by Sunday evening, it may enter Georgia as it continues to head east.

AccuWeather forecasters say the system could be a strong tropical storm as it makes landfall near the Mississippi-Alabama border near Mobile on Saturday morning.

If it becomes a Category 1 hurricane, the storm would be named Hurricane Isaias.

There has not been much activity during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season due to a Super El Niño, according to AccuWeather.

"The Atlantic has gone deeper into the season without producing a hurricane than any year in the last 100 years and is now approaching the all-time record," AccuWeather reported.

The NWS is monitoring the tropical system.

Updates will be posted on the weather service's Twitter page, the weather service's Facebook page and its website.

Here is the National Weather Service's Tuesday afternoon forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 77. East wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 57. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 79. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Calm wind.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82.

Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Saturday: Showers likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 73. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Sunday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Columbus Day: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.