Tropical Storm Hanna to reach Texas coast Saturday

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Hanna was expected to make landfall over the weekend, threatening to bring heavy rain, rough waters and strong winds to the Gulf Coast, all while another tropical storm continued to approach the Caribbean.

Hanna was located about 360 miles (575 kilometers) east, southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said in its 1 a.m. CDT advisory. It had maximum sustained winds around 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving west, northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).

It was expected to make landfall along the southern coast of Texas on Saturday, forecasters said. A tropical storm warning was in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande to San Luis Pass, Texas, and a tropical storm watch was in effect from San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas.

Hanna was expected to bring 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) of rain and coastal swells that “are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the advisory stated. Isolated rain totals of 10 inches (25 centimeters) were possible from Louisiana to south Texas, and inland into the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and northern Tamaulipas.

Hanna broke the record as the earliest eighth Atlantic named storm, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The previous record was Harvey on Aug. 3, 2005, Klotzbach tweeted.

Tropical Storm Gonzalo was also the earliest Atlantic named storm for its place in the alphabet. The previous record was held by Tropical Storm Gert, which formed on July 24, 2005. So far this year, Cristobal, Danielle, Edouard and Fay also set records for being the earliest named Atlantic storm for their alphabetic order.

Gonzalo was moving 14 mph (22 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center’s advisory early Friday. It was located about 685 miles (1,105 kilometers) east of the southern Windward Islands.

The Hurricane Center said that those in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm as it is expected to approach the islands late Friday and Saturday. As some strengthening is forecast, there is still a chance that Gonzalo could become a hurricane, but the storm is expected to weaken as it moves into the Caribbean Sea.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Tobago and Grenada. Forecasters said Gonzalo could bring 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 centimeters) of rain.