Tropical activity heats up in busy Atlantic as NHC tracks 1 storm, 3 disturbances
Tropical Storm Harold made landfall in South Texas Tuesday, while Tropical Storm Franklin is still swirling in the Atlantic, and another tropical disturbance is looming off western Africa. The NHC is also keeping tabs on the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily.
Tropical Storm Franklin approches Hispaniola
FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross is tracking Tropical Depression Harold and Tropical Storm Franklin, both responsible for flooding rain.
As the peak of hurricane season approaches, the National Hurricane Center is watching five areas in the Atlantic basin, including Tropical Depression Harold that weakened from a tropical storm but still delivers flooding rain across South Texas.
The NHC is also monitoring Tropical Storm Franklin, the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily and a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic.
Here's a closer look at a very active Atlantic:
Tropical Depression Harold continues to dump heavy rain on Texas
Tropical Storm Harold made landfall on Padre Island, Texas, just after 9:50 a.m. CT Tuesday as heavy rains and strong winds spread into South Texas. It weakened to a tropical depression while over land.
The storm is 15 miles east of Laredo, Texas and quickly moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Maximum sustained winds are 35 mph.
(FOX Weather)
A general 2 to 5 inches of rain is forecast for South Texas, but some locations may pick up as much as 7 inches of rain through Wednesday morning.
(FOX Weather)
Tropical Storm Franklin eyes Hispaniola, Puerto Rico
Tropical Storm Franklin is still moving slowly as it approaches the Dominican Republic. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to both Puerto Rico and Hispaniola through the day.
The storm will inch towards the southern coast of Hispaniola on overnight and into Wednesday, threatening "life-threatening" flash flooding in the Dominican Republic as forecasted rain totals reach 10-15 inches in some spots, the NHC reports.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and the north coast of the Dominican Republic while Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for the islands of Turks and Caicos. Franklin has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts, and some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Puerto Rico, which is outside the tropical advisories, could see 2 to 4 inches of rain and up to 6 inches locally through the middle of the week.
Franklin is heading northwest at 7 mph. It is about 210 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
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Monitoring Invest 92L off Africa
The fourth area of interest in the Atlantic is near Africa. Atmospheric conditions degraded, and the NHC feels that the chances of development are low to medium that a tropical depression could form later in the week in the eastern tropical Atlantic. This disturbance has a 10% chance of development over the next two days and a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next seven days, the NHC says.
What was Tropical Storm Emily is now just a remnant low being monitored as "Disturbance No. 2". The disturbance does have a 30% chance of reforming into a tropical depression within in the next two days and a 50% chance within the next week.
GUIDE FOR 2023 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON
(FOX Weather)