Tropical Storm Marco forms, joins Tropical Storm Laura on trek toward Gulf of Mexico

Two tropical storms are brewing in the Atlantic Ocean right now -- Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco.

Tropical Storm Marco is expected to strength over the Caribbean throughout Saturday and inch closer to the Yucatan Penisula of Mexico.

Less than 24 hours after Tropical Storm Laura formed in the Atlantic Ocean, another tropical storm has formed just south of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center reports Tropical Storm Marco has winds of 40 mph as of the 11 p.m. advisory. It is located about 180 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico and was moving north northwest at 13 mph. The storm could make landfall as a hurricane somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico region of the United States, between Texas and Louisiana, sometime next week.

Marco is the earliest named tropical storm in recorded history, according to WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze.

Tropical Storm Laura formed in the Atlantic earlier on Friday and was also forecast to impact the United States, possibly as a hurricane, sometime next week. As of the 11 p.m. advisory, Laura had wind speeds at 45 mph. It was about 195 miles east southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico and was moving west northwest at 18 mph.

The two storms could create a unique situation in the Gulf of Mexico. When tropical systems get within 800 miles of each other, that is a phenomenon called the Fujiwara Effect.

"In this case ... they would be about 400 miles apart and potentially as much as a day apart, but you can still see how close those centers are together," meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said on Friday.

If the storms remain at about equal strength, they would rotate around each other, she explained.

"But if, for some reason, Laura strengthens and we get potentially Marcos being stronger, then Marcos could absorb Laura and it could make a stronger storm," she said.

Tropical Storm Laura could eventually impact Florida's panhandle as a hurricane by Tuesday or Wednesday. It could bring North Carolina rain sometime next week.

"There's certainly the possibility we could have one storm making landfall on Tuesday morning and another making landfall around Wednesday morning along the Gulf Coast in very close proximity," said Gardner. "That's something I can never remember happening."

A third system near Africa will continue to move over the eastern Atlantic this week. There is a 20% chance of development within the next five days as it continues to move westward,

"I feel sure that it's probably going to develop, and this time of year you never know how many more are following right behind it," said Gardner.

Peak hurricane season runs from mid-August to late October, and hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30. WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said very warm ocean temperatures are contributing to the active hurricane season.

If all the names on the list of 2020 storm names are used before hurricane season ends, meteorologists will use Greek letters to refer to the storms.