Meteorologists say a tropical storm is likely to form this weekend or early next week

A tropical storm is likely to develop in the Gulf of Mexico late this weekend or early this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Meteorologists said Friday evening that there is a 70% chance of development over the next seven days and 30% over the next 48 hours as the low pressure system moves into Florida.

“Heavy rainfall could occur across parts of Florida from the end of this weekend through the middle of next week,” the Hurricane Center said in a statement.

The latest forecast comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene battered Florida's Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to the Big Bend region before causing catastrophic destruction in western North Carolina and parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.

READ MORE: For Tampa Bay, Helene was the worst storm in a century

The National Hurricane Center said officials and residents of the Gulf Coast and Florida Keys should closely monitor the system.

“Regardless of tropical or subtropical development, locally heavy rainfall could occur over the next day or two in parts of Mexico and much of Florida from the end of this weekend into the middle of next week,” forecasters said in the warning.

READ MORE: Heavy rains and flooding expected to hit South Florida from Sunday into next week

The National Weather Service Miami said that “a flood warning is likely to be issued for South Florida sometime this weekend.”

Meteorologists are forecasting rainfall amounts between 8 and 10 inches in parts of Broward County, 6 to 8 inches in Miami-Dade and about 6 inches in the Keys next week, regardless of whether the tropical storm develops or not.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.