A new tropical storm formed Friday in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to merge with a cold front in Louisiana, causing gale-force winds and dumping several inches of rain in the southeast. Tropical Storm Olga had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of 8 p.m. ET and was located about 260 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The National Hurricane Center said Olga's core is expected to move over the northern Gulf Coast late Friday night or early Saturday morning, and then move through the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys Saturday and Sunday.

Olga and the remnants of the storm are expected to cause between 2 to 4 inches with up to 8 inches of rain across the central Gulf Coast and into the Mississippi River Valley through Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

National Hurricane Center

Tornadoes are also possible across southeast portions of Louisiana and Mississippi into southwest Alabama.

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Another tropical storm, Pablo, also formed far out in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The small storm is expected to move east-southeast, followed by a gradual turn toward the northeast. It could bring strong winds to the Azore, a chain of Portuguese islands located in the mid-Atlantic.