A tropical disturbance brewing in the western Gulf of Mexico is expected to unleash heavy rainfall and potential flooding across parts of Texas as it nears the coast on Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Thursday afternoon, the system known as Invest 98-L was situated at coordinates 21.7°N, 93.7°W. It was advancing northwest at a speed of 17 mph, with maximum sustained winds reaching 30 mph. The central pressure was recorded at 1011 millibars, suggesting that it continues to be a relatively weak system. Experts predict that it may intensify into a tropical depression or tropical storm before making landfall. If it receives a name, it will be referred to as Tropical Storm Fernand.
Late Friday, the system is poised to make landfall along the Texas coast, bringing the heaviest rain to the Brownsville and Corpus Christi regions first. As Saturday dawns, meteorologists anticipate that the rain bands associated with the system will advance inland, reaching Central Texas…