Storm “Nadine” is gaining momentum in the Atlantic – and its chances of becoming a hurricane have tripled.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) released its updated forecast Tuesday, saying there is a 30 percent chance of it becoming a hurricane by Thursday.

The previous report showed only a 10 percent chance the storm would reach hurricane proportions within 48 hours.

The upgrade comes amid increasing wind speeds.

Meteorologists are closely watching the potential Nadine, which could sweep over Florida or take a different path to Mexico and Central America.

A tropical depression is heading toward Florida and could strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days

“This system is forecast to move generally westward, and environmental conditions may become more favorable for gradual development by mid to late this week,” the NHC said in the update at 8 a.m. ET.

The storm, officially known as Invest 94L, was previously classified as a “disturbance” but was upgraded to a tropical depression on Monday after its surface winds reached 38 miles per hour and caused cyclones in the Atlantic.

As it approaches warmer waters, a low pressure system brings devastating rains and thunderstorms that can cause severe flooding and develop into a hurricane with winds of 74 miles per hour.

It is unclear if and when the tropical storm will finally develop into a hurricane, but the NCH said there is a 60 percent chance of the storm becoming a hurricane within the next seven days.

The tropical depression is currently several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, but could gradually strengthen into a hurricane as it reaches warmer waters near Florida.

It is expected to trend northwest, past the northern tip of Antigua and toward the Dominican Republic and the southeast coast of Cuba.

“There is still a scenario where this structure could find a path further north and enter the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, but the chances of that happening appear to be diminishing,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex DaSilva reported.

However, there is now a second area of ​​concern as a low pressure area develops over the southwestern Caribbean Sea.

There are “two main areas most likely to drive tropical development over the next few days to about a week, and one or both features could still impact Florida,” AccuWeather meteorologists told USA Today.

The second storm, which will be named Oscar, “has shown some signs of life off and on in recent days, but could move into a much more favorable area for tropical development this week as it approaches the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean.” .” DaSilva said in the AccuWeather report.

Should the tropical depression make landfall in the Atlantic, it would happen in the next nine days

DaSilva told DailyMail.com that the storm was unlikely to reach hurricane status.

If the storm moves across the Virgin Islands, the mountains could disrupt its growth.

He added that “the likelihood of a direct impact on the U.S. is low because there is wind shear that could protect us.”

Wind shear is strong high-altitude winds that can strip heat and moisture from the eye of a hurricane, distorting its shape and effectively tearing it apart.

If the storm develops into something larger, DaSilva said it probably won't hit until Oct. 17-18, and meteorologists won't know what path the storm will take until then.

“I don’t think it would hit us at all,” he said, adding that “it either just gets pushed out to sea or there’s nothing left by the time it gets to the U.S.”

However, the storm is still very far away, and if it does hit the states it will still be nine days away, “so things are still subject to change,” DaSilva said.

The strength of the storm depends on how long it stays over water, which could cause it to grow and become a hurricane.

“One possibility would take the system west into Central America and southern Mexico, the other unfortunately leads to Florida,” DaSilva said in an AccuWeather report.

As the tropical depression moves toward Central America, it won't have as much time to strengthen, but as its track shifts north toward the Gulf of Mexico, it could provide the climate needed to grow.

“Not only are the waters very warm in this area – reaching depths exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit – but the heat content of the western Caribbean oceans is at record levels at all times of the year,” DaSilva said in the report.

The tropical storm could head toward Florida or Mexico and Central America next week

The looming storm comes as Florida works to recover from Hurricane Milton, which hit Tampa last week, moving across the state and spawning deadly tornadoes.

At least 17 people died in Florida and while the state is still assessing the financial toll, the damage is estimated to be in the billions.

Milton also came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast two weeks earlier, submerging states along the coast.

According to CoreLogic, Helene caused a total damage of $30.5 billion to $47.5 billion in 16 states and claimed the lives of more than 230 people so far, with countless more still reported missing.

This year, there were already an above-average number of hurricanes in mid-October, with four major hurricanes, including Beryl, Helene, Kirk and Milton, hitting the USA.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the U.S. would experience an above-average hurricane season, predicting that between four and seven Category 3 or higher hurricanes would strike.

The forecast has so far proven to be true, with values ​​in mid-October exceeding the historical average.

Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

DailyMail.com has contacted the National Hurricane Center for comment.