System near Mexico expected to strengthen into tropical storm

The first tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could form in the coming days, while another system in the Atlantic is forecast to head toward the east coast of Florida.

The National Hurricane Center on Monday evening designated the system as Potential Tropical Cyclone No. 1.

As of Tuesday morning, it was located over the Bay of Campeche, between the Yucatan Peninsula and mainland Mexico, and had an 80 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical storm by Thursday as it headed toward the 'west-northwest.

Parts of the Texas coast were under a tropical storm warning early Tuesday morning.

“Parts of Mexico and far south Texas could experience tropical storm force winds tonight (Tuesday) into Wednesday, but the main story will be widespread precipitation from this system,” Megan Borowski said. , meteorologist at Florida Public Radio. Network. “Southeast Texas could receive more than half a foot of rain by Thursday.”

Meanwhile, an area of ​​showers several hundred miles east of the Bahamas is moving from west to west-northwest.

While there is a small chance of development, forecasters say it could bring rain and beach erosion to parts of Florida's east coast and the southeastern United States by Friday .