Ns News Online Desk: As forecasters monitor what could be the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season over open water, another tropical threat is brewing much closer to the U.S. mainland.Showers and thunderstorms over the central Gulf of Mexico have developed into Tropical Depression 8, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 2 p.m. ET, the system is about 415 miles east-southeast of Port O’Connor, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moves to the west-northwest at 11 mph.
TROPICAL STORM GONZALO FORMS IN ATLANTIC, SETS YET ANOTHER RECORD FOR 2020 HURRICANE SEASON
Slow strengthening is expected and the system is forecast to become a weak tropical storm, named Hanna, in the next day or so.Tropical Storm Hanna is forecast to make landfall Saturday along the coast in South Texas. Tropical storm watches are in effect along the Texas coast from Port Mansfield to High Island, with conditions expected by Friday night.Heavy showers and thunderstorms will be widespread along the eastern Gulf Coast with the added risk of flash flooding Friday into the weekend ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON: WHERE DO TROPICAL STORMS FORM IN JULY?
According to the NHC, isolated amounts of up to 8 inches of rain are possible, along with life-threatening surf and rip currents along much of the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Gonzalo poised to be the first Atlantic hurricane of 2020 season
The seventh named tropical storm that formed Wednesday in the Atlantic and set yet another record for the 2020 hurricane season continues to strengthen.Tropical Storm Gonzalo set a record for the earliest named seventh tropical storm, “G” storm, of the Atlantic hurricane season.
As of Thursday afternoon, the system had weakened a bit, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and is about 850 miles east of the Southern Windward Islands, moving west at 14 mph.
CORONAVIRUS AND HURRICANE SEASON: HERE’S WHY THE RED CROSS SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE The small and compact Gonzalo is moving westward and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane over the next few days. A hurricane watch is in effect for Barbados as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
