ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico on its way toward the coast near Texas and Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Francine is about 480 miles south-southwest of Cameron, Louisiana. It is moving slowly north-northwest before a faster motion to the northeast late Tuesday. According to the NHC, it is expected to move offshore of the northern Gulf of Mexico through Tuesday and approach the Louisiana and Upper Texas coastline on Wednesday.
It has maximum sustained wind speeds at 50 mph. It is forecast to become a hurricane before it reaches the northwestern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
2 areas in Atlantic
The other two areas the NHC is monitoring is in the central tropical Atlantic and the eastern central tropical Atlantic.
The area of low pressure in the central tropical Atlantic, Invest 92L, is expected to become a tropical depression in the next few days. It has a 60% chance of development in the next seven days.
Current models show a trend to the north in the middle of the Atlantic toward the end of the weekend.
The other area several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands could also become a tropical depression later this week as it moves west-northwest. It has a 60% chance of development in the next seven days.
The next named storm will be called Gordon.
Hurricane season runs through November.
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