WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall near Texas and Louisiana later this week.
The National Hurricane Center said at 5 p.m. Monday that Francine has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is located in the Bay of Campeche.
The forecast calls for Francine to hug the coast of Texas, then make a run toward the Texas/Louisiana border by Wednesday evening. By that point, it could be a Category 2 hurricane.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued for parts of the Louisiana coast.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Rainfall, flooding and strong winds are the greatest threats for Texas and Louisiana. Rainfall totals between 4 to 8 inches are possible, with some areas seeing higher totals.
The combination of dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland.
"It's not an impact for us," WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Jennifer Correa said. "But sure enough, we're getting a lot of moisture from this system."
Farther out in the Atlantic, two other areas of unsettled weather have a medium and high chance of formation, respectively, as they work their way west.
The first wave is known as Invest 92-L, and WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Steve Villanueva said computer models are taking that system toward the U.S. Virgin Islands as we head into the next couple of days.
"Models not really doing much with this system. But we'll see how it pans out over the next few," Villanueva said. "Not expected to affect us here in South Florida."
The peak of hurricane season is Tuesday.
The WPTV First Alert Weather team will monitor these systems closely and bring you the very latest developments.
