A Hurricane Watch has been issued for portions of the Florida Gulf Coast.

The Hurricane Watch includes coastal areas extending from Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs.

The majority of the area included is known as the “Big Bend” region of Florida, but the watch extends further south as well, just north of the Tampa area.

There is currently no hurricane or even a tropical storm in existence. However, the National Hurricane Center is forecasting the further strengthening of Tropical Depression 9 into a Tropical Storm overnight.