Tropical Storm Milton is forming in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to reach Florida this week

Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and is expected to bring “life-threatening impacts” to Florida – a state just devastated by Hurricane Helene – next week.

National Hurricane Center (NHC) meteorologists warned in their latest bulletin that the forecast suggests the system is approaching “major hurricane strength” as it makes landfall along Florida's west coast. “A powerful hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards is likely to hit the west coast of the Florida Peninsula next week,” the warning said.

Where is Tropical Storm Milton and what path is it taking?

As of 1:00 p.m. ET:

• Milton was located about 220 miles north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico.

• The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.

• The storm was moving north-northeast across the Gulf of Mexico at a speed of 3 miles per hour.

“Starting late Tuesday or Wednesday, there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula,” the NHC said in its forecast. “Residents of these areas should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place.”

Non-storm rainfall is expected for Florida as early as Sunday and Monday. Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Milton is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the hurricane center. “This rainfall poses risks of flash flooding, urban and area flooding, and minor to isolated moderate river flooding,” forecasters said.

Outside Tropical Storm Milton, Hurricane Kirk, currently a Category 3 hurricane, is producing swell that is expected to bring “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” to the U.S. East Coast through Sunday.

Milton arrives days after Helene

Tropical Storm Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone.

After making landfall with winds of 140 miles per hour, the storm moved inland across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and leaving widespread destruction in its wake. After the storm, the state's infrastructure and emergency services were overwhelmed. As of Saturday afternoon, thousands of utility customers were still without power in Florida.

Read more from Yahoo News: Helene shows that in the age of climate change, hurricanes don't just destroy coastlines

Active hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the peak of increased activity is usually from August to October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” Atlantic hurricane season will typically see about 14 named storms, “of which seven become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes.”

In early October, eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic – Milton was the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is moving faster than expected. Normally, the 13th storm of the season would not hit until October 25th at the earliest.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency does not have the resources to get through the season. President Biden said this week that Congress may need to pass additional spending legislation in the next few months to fund states' recovery efforts.