A tropical storm warning has been issued along part of the coast of Texas and Mexico as a tropical rainstorm gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
After a tropical rainstorm brought heavy rainfall to portions of Florida last week, AccuWeather hurricane experts warn that yet another tropical rainstorm is expected to impact the southern U.S. in the coming days.
In addition to the tropical rainstorm, two other areas in the Atlantic Basin are being monitored for tropical development later this week, including one off the Southeast coast. It is possible that one of these areas could strengthen into Alberto, becoming the first named storm of the season.
This AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite image from Tuesday morning, June 18, shows an area of showers and thunderstorms, dubbed a tropical rainstorm by AccuWeather meteorologists, in the Bay of Campeche.
Tropical rainfall to threaten Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts
AccuWeather began to highlight portions of the western Gulf of Mexico with a high risk for tropical development last Thursday afternoon. A tropical rainstorm developed late on Sunday and is forecast to steer toward the border between Mexico and Texas into the middle of the week. The storm is expected to drift north-northwestward, bringing with it rounds of heavy rain.
A tropical storm warning has been issued along the Gulf Coast from Port O’Connor, Texas, southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande River, with a tropical storm watch southward from there to Puerto de Altamira, Mexico, due to the expected impacts from the strengthening system.
“Very warm waters in this area of the Gulf, as well as low wind shear will make this a conducive environment for the tropical rainstorm to strengthen,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Given these factors, the rainstorm is forecast to strengthen into a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, right before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Mexico. Should the storm produce sustained winds of 39 mph or greater prior to any other development in the Atlantic Basin, it will be given the name Alberto.
A tropical storm is likely to bring widespread strong wind gusts to the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, as well as portions of South Texas. Some storm surge can also be expected along the coast north of the storm’s landfall. For both Mexico and the United States, given the risk for damaging winds, storm surge and flooding rainfall, this storm is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.
Given the limited time over water and close proximity to land, the tropical disturbance will need to intensify quickly in order to reach tropical storm strength before landfall Wednesday night. This is currently expected to occur, according to AccuWeather forecasters.