Another hurricane? Hurricane forecasters eye other storms out at sea.

Hurricane Helene isn't the only storm forecasters are watching Thursday as the tropical Atlantic Ocean continues to remain active.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking two other systems in the Atlantic, including Tropical Storm Isaac, which could become a hurricane by Friday. In good news for the USA, that storm is headed out to sea and isn't expected to threaten the East Coast.

Another system far out in the Atlantic also shows signs of organization, the hurricane center said. It's too early at this time to determine if the system will have any impact on any land areas.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane Thursday night along Florida's Gulf Coast.

Where is Tropical Storm Isaac? What's the forecast?

As of midday Thursday, the center of Tropical Storm Isaac was located far out in the Atlantic Ocean, some 820 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. Isaac is moving to the east near 12 mph and a general eastward to east-northeastward motion is expected to continue for the next several days over the open subtropical Atlantic.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours and Isaac could be become a hurricane by Friday, the hurricane center said.

Swells generated by Isaac and a large wind fetch from another weather system are affecting portions of the coast of Bermuda and could spread into the Azores by this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Depression could form today

Elsewhere in the central Atlantic, shower and thunderstorm activity associated with an area of low pressure located several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands has become more organized during the past several hours, the hurricane center reported Thursday morning.

Environmental conditions appear conducive for continued development of this system, and a tropical depression could form as soon as later Thursday while it moves generally westward to west-northwestward near 15 mph.

The system is then forecast to slow down and turn northward late Friday and Saturday. If it becomes a named storm, it would likely get the name Joyce.

It's too early at this time to determine if the system will have any impact on any land areas.

Hurricane John plagues Mexico

In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane John continues to plague the west coast of Mexico with the threat of more heavy, flooding rain and landslides.

John first made landfall on Monday at major hurricane strength, triggering flooding and landslides that crushed homes while leaving at least five dead. Its remnants brought intense rains across several states, home to major ports and beach resorts, before strengthening again.

The storm moved back into the Pacific Ocean earlier on Wednesday and the hurricane center now forecasts John to again slam into the Mexican mainland on Thursday.

Average hurricane season so far?

So far this season, a total of nine named tropical storms have formed in the Atlantic Ocean. Of those nine storms, five have strengthened into hurricanes. The season is running roughly average for named storms, which is a far cry from the preseason forecasts of an extremely active, perhaps record-breaking season.

A typical year sees 14 named storms, of which 7 are hurricanes, according to Colorado State University.

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane forecasters eye other storms as Helene threatens USA