79°F
weather icon Clear

US Gulf Coast, Florida keeping eye on tropical storm conditions

A system moving quickly toward the central U.S. Gulf Coast is expected to become a tropical storm by Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The system is brewing about 175 miles (281 kilometers) east-southeast of Marathon in the Florida Keys. Maximum sustained winds of the unnamed system have been clocked at 30 mph (45 kph) and the system is moving west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).

The Miami-based center said in a statement Sunday evening that a storm surge watch has been issued from the Mississippi-Alabama border westward to the Mouth of the Mississippi River.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of the central Gulf Coast from the Alabama-Florida line westward to nearly Morgan City, Louisiana.

The system could dump 2 to 4 inches (5-10 centimeters) of rain over parts of the Bahamas, the Florida Keys and South Florida through early Tuesday.

Meanwhile Tropical Storm Florence continues to hold steady over the eastern Atlantic, about 790 miles (1271 kilometers) west-northwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands.

Florence was moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph) and maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85kph) with higher gusts late Sunday evening.

Forecasters say little change in strength is expected in coming days and no coastal watches or warnings are in effect.

MOST READ
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Jimmy Kimmel makes return to late-night TV. Find out how to watch tonight

Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television after a nearly weeklong suspension and nearly broke down in tears, saying he wasn’t trying to joke about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

California bans most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operations

California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill that was signed Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

4.3 magnitude earthquake jolts San Francisco Bay Area

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 rocked the San Francisco Bay Area early Monday, waking up many people, with more 22,000 saying they felt it, according to the United States Geological Survey.

MORE STORIES