Tropical Storm Francine forms and could reach the US coast as a hurricane

• Tropical Storm Francine to Become a Hurricane.
• Louisiana Under Hurricane Watch.
• Very Active Hurricane Season.

Tropical Storm Francine formed on Monday in the Gulf of Mexico.

Francine is expected to strengthen in the coming days and reach the U.S. coast as a hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Francine has maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h.

The storm is located about 395 kilometers southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande, off the coast of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Francine: Sixth Storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season

Francine is the sixth storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

According to the NHC, the storm will become a hurricane before making landfall on Wednesday along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Louisiana, from Cameron to Grand Isle, is under a hurricane watch, meaning potential effects within the next 48 hours.

There is also a tropical storm watch in parts of Texas and Louisiana.

A storm surge could flood coastal areas in these regions.

Storm Francine is moving toward the north-northwest at 7 kilometers per hour and could speed up on Tuesday.

Rainfall of up to 30 centimeters is expected in parts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas.

Sea levels could rise as much as 3 meters in Cameron and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana.

The last Atlantic cyclone was Ernesto, which reached Category 2 and caused significant damage in Puerto Rico and Bermuda.

Ernesto was the third hurricane of the season, which began on June 1 and has produced five other storms.

Beryl, Debby, and Ernesto all became hurricanes, with Beryl reaching Category 5.

The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be one of the most active in decades, with up to 25 storms and 13 hurricanes.

To listen to the podcast of this and other news, click on the photo.