Port Mansfield (Texas) [US], August 23: Tropical Storm Harold became the fourth named storm in less than 48 hours as it spun up in the Gulf of Mexico overnight while Tropical Storm Franklin and Tropical Depression Gert continue to churn amid two more investigations, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
As of Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Harold was located about 70 miles (112km) east-southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas moving west-northwest at 18 mph (29 km/h). It had sustained winds of 45 mph with higher gusts and tropical-storm-force winds extending out 115 miles.
"The system is forecast to move inland over south Texas by midday today," forecasters said. "Some strengthening is possible before Harold reaches the Texas coast." A tropical storm warning remains in effect from the mouth of the Rio Grande River north to Port O'Connor, Texas while a tropical storm watch is in effect from Port O'Connor to Sargent, Texas.
Flash flooding is a threat as the storm is forecast to produce 3 to 5 inches with some area seeing 7 inches of rainfall across South Texas while parts of Mexico could see up to 10 inches, the NHC said.
Tropical Storm Franklin in the Caribbean is the only remaining system from Sunday's busy spate of named storms that is still at tropical-storm strength after Atlantic systems Tropical Storm Emily faded into a remnant low and Tropical Storm Gert fell back down to a tropical depression. As of 8am, Franklin was located about 260 miles south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Source: Qatar Tribune