Tropical Depression 8 likely to strengthen into Hanna over Gulf
By
Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jul 22, 2020 2:39 PM EST
Tropical storm watches were in effect Thursday across a large portion of the Texas Gulf Coast after Tropical Depression Eight formed late Wednesday night. AccuWeather forecasters say the depression is expected strengthen into Tropical Storm Hanna prior to moving over Texas Saturday, which would set another record for the Atlantic basin and bring impacts to a portion of the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Even before the storm strengthened into a depression, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday urged "Texans to remain vigilant and closely monitor weather conditions" heading into the weekend.
"You get a little nervous, but you got to be prepared, you know, especially when you're living by the water," resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, Lori Ramirez told AccuWeather Reporter Bill Wadell. "It's when it gets to hurricanes that you start to worry, and you're like, okay, let's get a plan going in case we've got to get out of here."
In a statement, Abbott said he was "preparing state resources to assist communities with potential flooding and heavy rainfall."
Indeed, heavy rain will be the primary impact residents along the Gulf coast will face. A general 2-4 inches of rain is forecast to fall mainly along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, including Houston and New Orleans and perhaps as far inland as Austin and San Antonio, Texas. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches is anticipated.
Locally heavy rainfall, enough to produce some flash flooding, will occur across parts of Louisiana and Texas Thursday into Saturday, regardless of how strong the system becomes.
This image, captured during midday Thursday, July 23, 2020, shows the Gulf of Mexico with Tropical Depression Eight nearly square in the middle. (NOAA/GOES-East)
Gusty onshore winds could also lead to rough surf and rip currents along the central and western Gulf Coast late this week into the weekend.
"How much impact from wind will depend on the strength of the system as it move ashore in Texas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
The greatest risk of tropical storm force winds between 40 and 60 mph will be from Galveston to Corpus Christi, Texas. There is the potential for the system to ramp up quickly just offshore of Texas, after it takes hold over the western part of the Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures along the Texas coast are well into the 80s F. Warm water, generally above 80 is essential for rapid tropical system strengthening.
"Even in lieu of tropical storm formation, there can still be some gusty thunderstorms and perhaps a couple of tornadoes or waterspouts around the time of landfall at the close of the week," Sosnowski added.
An uptick in surf including the frequency and strength of rip currents is in store through the balance of the week along the western and central Gulf coast of the United States.
Overall impact by the system is projected to be less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes. The greatest impact will be from rainfall and the risk of flooding.
As of Thursday evening, the tropical depression had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moved west-northwestward at 8 mph over warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical wave that AccuWeather meteorologists had been monitoring for several days, originally dubbed Invest 91L by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), strengthened into Tropical Depression Eight over the central Gulf of Mexico about 380 miles off the coast of Texas.
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Forecasters expect the new depression to become the latest named storm in what has already been a busy Atlantic hurricane season, and one that AccuWeather meteorologists have been warning would be "very active." Once maximum sustained surface winds reach at least 39 mph, the depression will be given the name Tropical Storm Hanna.
The main limiting factor for further development will be the short amount of time the system will take to trek across the Gulf. However, additional strengthening is expected.
If the storm reaches tropical storm status, it could earn the distinction of being the earliest recorded "H" named storm in the Atlantic basin. The earliest eighth-named storm to date is Tropical Storm Harvey from 2005, which formed on Aug. 3. The system is expected to quickly dissipate shortly after making landfall morning or midday on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a strengthening Tropical Storm Gonzalo was churning in the central Atlantic Ocean, more than 1,000 miles off the coast of South America.
Satellite Image of Tropical Depression Eight and Tropical Storm on Thursday morning, July 23, 2020. (NOAA / GOES East)
On Wednesday morning, Tropical Depression 7 in the central Atlantic Ocean strengthened into Tropical Storm Gonzalo, becoming the earliest "G" named storm. Three tropical storms that proceeded Gonzalo -- Cristobal, Edouard and Fay -- had also been the earliest storms of their respective letters. Gonzalo is forecast to become the Atlantic's first hurricane of the 2020 season this week.
To stay up to date on the busy hurricane season, visit the AccuWeather hurricane center for all tropical weather information and news, including the next names on the 2020 Atlantic list.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Tropical Depression 8 likely to strengthen into Hanna over Gulf
By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jul 22, 2020 2:39 PM EST
Tropical storm watches were in effect Thursday across a large portion of the Texas Gulf Coast after Tropical Depression Eight formed late Wednesday night. AccuWeather forecasters say the depression is expected strengthen into Tropical Storm Hanna prior to moving over Texas Saturday, which would set another record for the Atlantic basin and bring impacts to a portion of the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Even before the storm strengthened into a depression, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday urged "Texans to remain vigilant and closely monitor weather conditions" heading into the weekend.
"You get a little nervous, but you got to be prepared, you know, especially when you're living by the water," resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, Lori Ramirez told AccuWeather Reporter Bill Wadell. "It's when it gets to hurricanes that you start to worry, and you're like, okay, let's get a plan going in case we've got to get out of here."
In a statement, Abbott said he was "preparing state resources to assist communities with potential flooding and heavy rainfall."
Indeed, heavy rain will be the primary impact residents along the Gulf coast will face. A general 2-4 inches of rain is forecast to fall mainly along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, including Houston and New Orleans and perhaps as far inland as Austin and San Antonio, Texas. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches is anticipated.
Locally heavy rainfall, enough to produce some flash flooding, will occur across parts of Louisiana and Texas Thursday into Saturday, regardless of how strong the system becomes.
This image, captured during midday Thursday, July 23, 2020, shows the Gulf of Mexico with Tropical Depression Eight nearly square in the middle. (NOAA/GOES-East)
Gusty onshore winds could also lead to rough surf and rip currents along the central and western Gulf Coast late this week into the weekend.
"How much impact from wind will depend on the strength of the system as it move ashore in Texas," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
The greatest risk of tropical storm force winds between 40 and 60 mph will be from Galveston to Corpus Christi, Texas. There is the potential for the system to ramp up quickly just offshore of Texas, after it takes hold over the western part of the Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures along the Texas coast are well into the 80s F. Warm water, generally above 80 is essential for rapid tropical system strengthening.
"Even in lieu of tropical storm formation, there can still be some gusty thunderstorms and perhaps a couple of tornadoes or waterspouts around the time of landfall at the close of the week," Sosnowski added.
An uptick in surf including the frequency and strength of rip currents is in store through the balance of the week along the western and central Gulf coast of the United States.
Overall impact by the system is projected to be less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes. The greatest impact will be from rainfall and the risk of flooding.
As of Thursday evening, the tropical depression had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moved west-northwestward at 8 mph over warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical wave that AccuWeather meteorologists had been monitoring for several days, originally dubbed Invest 91L by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), strengthened into Tropical Depression Eight over the central Gulf of Mexico about 380 miles off the coast of Texas.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Forecasters expect the new depression to become the latest named storm in what has already been a busy Atlantic hurricane season, and one that AccuWeather meteorologists have been warning would be "very active." Once maximum sustained surface winds reach at least 39 mph, the depression will be given the name Tropical Storm Hanna.
The main limiting factor for further development will be the short amount of time the system will take to trek across the Gulf. However, additional strengthening is expected.
If the storm reaches tropical storm status, it could earn the distinction of being the earliest recorded "H" named storm in the Atlantic basin. The earliest eighth-named storm to date is Tropical Storm Harvey from 2005, which formed on Aug. 3. The system is expected to quickly dissipate shortly after making landfall morning or midday on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a strengthening Tropical Storm Gonzalo was churning in the central Atlantic Ocean, more than 1,000 miles off the coast of South America.
Satellite Image of Tropical Depression Eight and Tropical Storm on Thursday morning, July 23, 2020. (NOAA / GOES East)
On Wednesday morning, Tropical Depression 7 in the central Atlantic Ocean strengthened into Tropical Storm Gonzalo, becoming the earliest "G" named storm. Three tropical storms that proceeded Gonzalo -- Cristobal, Edouard and Fay -- had also been the earliest storms of their respective letters. Gonzalo is forecast to become the Atlantic's first hurricane of the 2020 season this week.
To stay up to date on the busy hurricane season, visit the AccuWeather hurricane center for all tropical weather information and news, including the next names on the 2020 Atlantic list.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo