A tropical storm is predicted to strike the western Gulf Coast region this week, marking the resurgence of the hurricane season.
Disordered weather patterns were stirring up in the unusually hot western Gulf of Mexico, situated several hundred miles away from the Mexico-Texas border, around Monday morning's break of dawn. Already displaying tropical storm-like winds of 50 miles per hour, but not yet structured enough to be classified as a proper tropical storm, due to the lack of consistent wind movement around a central point.
Referred to as "Potential Tropical Cyclone Six" by the National Hurricane Center, the system embodies storms which have yet to establish their identity but have the potential to pose threats to land within 48 hours.
Incoming this week, residents of the western Gulf Coast can anticipate heavy precipitation, powerful winds, and life-threatening storm surges.
As of Monday morning, "Potential Tropical Cyclone Six" appeared unsettled in the western Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane watches have been issued for various localities along the northeastern coast of Mexico and southern Texas, with additional alerts anticipated this week on Monday and Tuesday.
Recent weather patterns have been strikingly calm in the Atlantic, with no named storms emerging since Ernesto in mid-August, during one of the season's busiest periods for hurricanes.
Predicted to strengthen once it establishes itself, Tropical Storm Francine will traverse towards the north earlier in the week across the unusually hot Gulf of Mexico. Transforming into a hurricane as soon as Tuesday night, it will be situated around three hundred miles to the east of the Texas coastline.
Hurricane-force winds could potentially strike portions of far northeastern Mexico and far southern Texas by Tuesday, preceded by coastal flooding and rough surf along the Mexican shoreline.
The storm's catastrophic wind and rain may begin early Tuesday morning, but coastal flood warnings will intensify in the United States as the system gains strength and approaches potential landfall, possibly late Wednesday.
At present, it remains too soon to foresee with accuracy the precise location on the western Gulf Coast for the storm's arrival and its potential intensity upon landfall. Accurate tracking predictions for the system cannot be made until it forms a definitive circulation center, so we can expect more certainty in the forecasts on Monday.
Initially, predictions suggest a potential landfall on the Louisiana coastline, but citizens of Texas to Louisiana should commence preparations and ensure that their hurricane emergency plans are up-to-date.
Regardless of location, heavy rains are expected, particularly in coastal areas, with northwestern Mexico set to experience precipitation on Monday, followed by the western Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
Rainfall from the storm will likely generate between 4 to 8 inches in northern Mexico and certain regions along the Texas coast and southern Louisiana this week. Possible rainfall totals could exceed a foot for locations that experience persistent downpours. A broader average of 2 to 4 inches is likely to occur across the region.
Most of the heavy rainfall will impact Texas during the early part of the week, while the most extreme flooding conditions may not reach Louisiana until late Tuesday night.
Tropical downpours could trigger a "substantial" risk of flash flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center. A risk level of level 3 out of 4 for flood rainfall is currently in effect in Louisiana and southern Mississippi, as per the Weather Prediction Center.
CNN Meteorologists Gene Norman, Elisa Raffa, Allison Chinchar, and CNN’s Ashley R. Williams contributed to this report.
The unsettled "Potential Tropical Cyclone Six" in the western Gulf of Mexico is causing concern due to its potential impact on weather, with hurricane watches issued for some areas. Residents should monitor the weather closely as heavy precipitation, powerful winds, and life-threatening storm surges are forecasted to arrive this week.
