According to storm news, the latest low pressure from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), a tropical depression is continuing to strengthen offshore Texas (USA).
On the morning of June 17, the tropical depression began to move to the Northwest of the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of about 50 km/h. The system is still affected by strong wind shear, so the convective cloud areas are mainly far from the center of the circulation.
Forecast for the next 24 hours, the tropical depression will accelerate in a Northeast direction, moving parallel to the Texas coast before making landfall again at the end of June 18 or the night of June 18.
Forecast models show that the system is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm when traveling over warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The NHC assesses that the intensity increase is not too strong because the wind shear environment will still remain at a high level in the next 24-36 hours. However, the tropical depression may still reach the tropical storm threshold before making landfall for the 2nd time.
The US meteorological agency has issued a tropical storm warning for the coastal area of Louisiana, from Sabine Pass to Morgan City. Strong tropical storm winds are expected to affect this area on June 18.
In addition to strong winds, heavy rain is the main threat of the tropical depression. Prolonged heavy rain could cause dangerous flash floods in Louisiana, southern Mississippi and some coastal areas of Texas until the end of June 19.
The risk of flooding is also present in Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle region on weekends.
In addition, the forecasting agency warned that coastal flooding from mild to moderate levels may occur in some areas along the coast of Texas and Louisiana due to rising sea levels combined with heavy rain.
People and tourists planning to visit Mexico during this time, especially in areas with tropical depressions passing through, should pay attention to weather forecasts. Regularly check flight schedules and follow local instructions to avoid dangerous storms.
