Tropical Depression Nine in Gulf could intensify into hurricane
Tropical Depression Nine has formed over the Gulf of America and is forecast to intensify rapidly, potentially becoming a tropical storm by early Wednesday and a hurricane on Thursday, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), at 4 p.m. CDT (2100 UTC) Tuesday, the system was located about 380 miles (615 km) west of Progreso, Mexico, and about 630 miles (1,015 km) southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts and was moving east at about 5 mph (7 km/h).
The depression is expected to continue moving east to east-northeast over the next couple of days before turning northeast on Friday. The system is forecast to pass north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday and approach the northern US Gulf Coast on Friday.
No coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect. People in the Yucatan Peninsula and along the northern US Gulf Coast are advised to monitor the system closely.
The depression is expected to bring 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of rain to coastal areas of the Bay of Campeche through Thursday, with isolated higher amounts possible in Campeche and western Yucatan.
From Friday through the weekend, 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 cm) of rain, with localized totals of up to 10 inches (25 cm), are forecast across the central US Gulf Coast from southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Flash, urban and isolated river flooding is possible.
Gusty winds are possible in parts of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, while swells generated by the system could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions to western and northern parts of the peninsula.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a broad area of low pressure might develop over the southwestern Gulf of America later this week, with a tropical depression potentially forming in the second half of the week.