Next up? Soon-to-be Emily

The area in the red circle is what will soon be Tropical Storm Emily.

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a large low pressure system located about 900 miles east of the Lesser Antilles continue to show signs of organization, according to a 2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Environmental conditions appear favorable for a tropical depression to form over the next couple of days. It would be called Emily.

This system has a high chance (80 percent) of becoming a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours as it moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph.

Stay tuned. Another update will be out around 8 p.m.

Don makes landfall, downgraded to tropical depression

Tropical Storm Don has fizzled fast upon landfall tonight on the Texas coast near Baffin Bay.

According to the 11 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Don has been downgraded to a tropical depression with winds of 35 mph.

Rainfall totals are expected to be 1 to 2 inches with isolated areas hitting 3 inches.

No strengthening expected before Don makes landfall

The center of Tropical Storm Don will make landfall on the Texas coast near Baffin Bay in the coming hours. Further strengthening is no longer anticipated, according to an 8 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm's center is about 50 miles south-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Don has winds of 50 mph and it is moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

Tropical Storm Don closes in on Texas coast



Tropical Storm Don on Friday afternoon.

 Rainbands are spreading onshore as Tropical Storm Don zeroes in on a Texas coast landfall tonight.

According to the 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Don still has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and is moving west-northwest at 16 mph. The storm's center is about 95 miles to the southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Find the latest maps and charts here.

Tropical storm-force winds extend 105 miles from the center, mainly to the north and east.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Texas coast, from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Matagorda.

Forecasters say some strengthening is still possible before landfall. Storm surge of 1 to 2 feet is expected, and rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are predicted, with isolated totals hitting up to 6 inches.

Tropical wave being watched out in Atlantic

As Tropical Storm Don churns toward the Texas coast, the National Hurricane Center has identified a new spot of interest far out in the Atlantic.

A large tropical wave about midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles is moving westward near 20 mph. Environmental conditions appear favorable for some slow development over the next few days. For now, the system has a low chance (20 percent) of becoming a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours.

Stay tuned.

Don's winds up to 50 mph; not expected to hit hurricane strength before landfall

Tropical Storm Don is not expected to become a hurricane prior to its expected landfall along the Texas coast.

In its 11 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center in Miami says Don's maximum sustained winds increased slightly to 50 mph. Only slight strengthening is forecast before the storm makes landfall on the Texas coast late Friday or Saturday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to San Luis Pass.
 
The storm is centered about 370 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and is moving west-northwest at 14 mph. Tropical storm-force winds extend 100 miles out from the center.
 

 
 

Don on track for Texas landfall Friday night, early Saturday

Tropical Storm Don continues to hustle northwestward toward the Texas coast, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. advisory.

Don has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving along at 16 mph. It is about 425 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi and 395 miles east of Brownsville.

Some slow strengthening is possible over the next 36 hours.

A tropical storm warning (tropical storm conditions expected within 36 hours) is in effect from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass. A tropical storm watch (tropical storm conditions possible within 48 hours) is in effect south of Port Mansfield to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

The center of Don is expected to make landfall along the Texas coast Friday night or early Saturday morning. Find the latest maps and tracks here.

Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center.

Don is forecast to bring a storm surge of 1 to 2 feet, mainly along the immediate coast near and to the northeast of where the center makes landfall. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves.
Don is expected to produce rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches from the central Texas coast westward into south central Texas, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 7 inches.

11 p.m. update: Don stays on course toward Texas

In its 11 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for the Texas coast from Port Mansfield northward to just west of San Luis Pass.

Tropical Storm Don has changed little since the 5 p.m. update. The system has winds of 40 mph and has stayed steady on its west-northwest track at a speed of 12 mph.

Its center of circulation is about 675 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.

Some strengthening is forecast over the next 48 hours. An Air Force reconnaissance plane is scheduled to check Don at daybreak.

A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within 48 hours.

Find forecast maps and charts for Don here.





Tropical Storm Don forms in Caribbean; Texas in crosshairs

Tropical Storm Don has formed over the southern Gulf of Mexico, according to a 5 p.m. advisory by the National Hurricane Center. Its projected track takes it into southern Texas.

The storm, about 120 miles north of Cozumel, Mexico, has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 12 mph. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect at this time, but the northwestern Gulf coast should monitor Don's progress.

Tropical depression or storm likely to form near Mexico.

There is an almost 100 percent chance that a tropical depression or tropical storm will form about 90 miles north of Cancun, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.   

The Hurricane Center reported at 2 p.m. EDT that an Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft was en route to the area. 

"Interests in the central and western Gulf of Mexico should monitor this system as it moves west-northwestward at about 15 mph," the Hurricane Center said.   

The latest computer models have the system heading toward the northwest and landing somewhere along the Texas Gulf coast.

Tropical wave in Caribbean could develop

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave over the northwestern Caribbean Sea just to the south of extreme western Cuba continue to show signs of organization, the National Hurricane Center reported Thursday night in an 8 p.m. advisory.

Surface observations, however, indicate the system does not have a closed circulation at this time. Slow development of this system is possible over the coming days as it moves toward the west-northwest near 15 mph.

The system has a 40 percent of becoming a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours.

Hurricane Dora reaches Cat. 4 strength off Mexico

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) -- Hurricane Dora rapidly grew into a Category 4 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast Wednesday while keeping out to sea and threatening coastal areas only with rain and tropical storm-strength winds.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said late Wednesday that the storm's top sustained winds had reached 135 mph. It said Dora's center was about 220 miles south-southwest of Lazaro Cardenas and moving west-northwest at 15 mph.

The fourth hurricane of the eastern Pacific season was forecast to stay offshore as it moved parallel to the coast for the next day or so. It could strengthen more before weakening begins Friday, forecasters said.

Mexican authorities issued a tropical storm watch from Lazaro Cardenas to Cabo Corrientes, meaning tropical storm conditions were possible within 12 to 24 hours.

The hurricane's outer bands brought rains to much of Mexico's southern coast, including the resort city of Acapulco. Police walked the beaches advising swimmers about the risk of strong waves.

In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Cindy formed well out to sea and posed no threat to land. Its center was 800 miles east-northeast of Bermuda.

Tropical Storm Bret was forecast to weaken to a tropical depression by Thursday as it moved northeast away from the Bahamas and well off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Bret's maximum sustained winds were 40 mph. Its center was about 235 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 455 miles west of Bermuda.

Cindy forms; no threat to U.S.

Tropical Storm Cindy has formed far out in the Atlantic, according to a 5 p.m. advisory from the National Weather Service. It is not a threat to the East Coast. The storm has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and is swiftly heading northeast at 24 mph.

Tropical Storm Bret, meanwhile, is a little closer to the Eastern Seaboard, but also no threat as it is heading northeast at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
Find the particulars on Bret and Cindy here.

Tracking Bret's path

Here's the latest tracking map for Bret. And here's a link to Bradenton.com's hurricane section, live from AccuWeather.

Tropical Storm Bret drifts northeast off Bahamas

Tropical storm Bret is swirling in the Atlantic Ocean off the Bahamas and forecast to stay away from the U.S. East Coast.

Authorities in the Bahamas issued a tropical storm warning early today for Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected in the next few hours.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm's center was about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north-northwest of Great Abaco Island. Its maximum sustained winds were 50 mph (85 kph) and it was drifting northeast at 3 mph (6 kph). Bret was expected to begin moving north-northeast later Monday and to strengthen over the next day or two.

The storm could produce 2 to 4 inches of rain over the northwest Bahamas.

Tropical depression forms over Bahamas

A tropical depression has formed in the Atlantic Ocean near the northern Bahamas and forecasters say it could strengthen into a tropical storm in the next day.

Authorities in the Bahamas issued a tropical storm watch for Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands. The storm isn't expected to approach the U.S.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's center was located Sunday afternoon about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of Freeport on Grand Bahama. Its maximum sustained winds were near 35 miles per hour (56 kph) and it was drifting slowly south at 2 mph (3 km).

Forecasters expected the storm to turn to the north or northeast and say it could strengthen into a tropical storm by Sunday night.

Hurricane Center: New system threatens Mexico

There is about a 50-50 chance that a system of bad weather in the Gulf of Mexico off the Mexican coast will turn into a tropical depression before heading inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 8 a.m. EDT, a system of low pressure located about 50 miles east-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, had become better organized.

"Regardless of development, this system will bring rain and gusty winds to the southwestern Gulf coast of Mexico as it moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph," the Hurricane Center said in a statement.

If the system develops into a tropical storm or hurricane, it will be named Bret.

Hurricane Center: 'Low chance' that 2 weather systems turn tropical

The National Hurricane Center is keep an eye on two weather systems located where tropical storms and hurricanes like to form, but as of early Monday there was only a "low chance" that either would turn into more serious trouble during the next 48.


Here's how the Hurricane Center is describing the systems. (The capitalization is theirs.):

CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS CONTINUE IN ASSOCIATION WITH A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED ABOUT 550 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS NOT EXPECTED...SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS COULD AFFECT THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...10 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA IS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE INTERACTING WITH AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW. DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS NOT EXPECTED DUE TO INTERACTION WITH LAND AND THIS SYSTEM HAS A LOW CHANCE...NEAR 0 PERCENT...OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT...HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT MOVES WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

'Low chance' that our cloudy skies mean tropical storm is on its way

The National Hurricane Center says there is a "low chance" that an area of cloudiness stretching from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico to Florida to the northwestern Bahamas will develop into anything to worry about.

Here are the Hurricane Center's exact words, as of 2 p.m. EDT (The capitalization is theirs, too.)

CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM YUCATAN ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...AND THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ARE PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH AN ELONGATED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE. ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM HAS BECOME A LITTLE BETTER ORGANIZED DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS...UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ONLY MARGINALLY CONDUCIVE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE...20 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

You have been advised.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Center forecasters are watching another system off the northern coast of South America.