NOAA’s National Hurricane Center issued a Public Advisory due to Tropical Depression 16 that is expected to become Hurricane Nate before making landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

As of 5 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, October 5, 2017, Tropical Depression 16 has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h), with higher gusts.

NHC forecasters say that Tropical Depression 16 is expected to become Tropical Storm Nate this morning.

Nate is forecast to become a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale by Saturday before making landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday.

Computer models are in general agreement that Tropical Depression 16 will move north-northwestward along the east coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras before passing over the eastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula.

However, there is a large spread among the computer models as to where Hurricane Nate will make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast between Louisiana and Florida panhandle.

Tropical Depression 16 is located 50 miles south of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua and is moving to the northwest at 7 mph (11 km/h).

NHC forecasters say that T.D. 16 should move across northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras later today and then over the northwestern Caribbean Sea tonight and Friday.  The center of the tropical cyclone is expected to approach the coast of the Yucatan peninsula late Friday.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts that the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, could be the busiest in seven years.