In a hurry? Here’s what’s happening with Hurricane Francine – in less than a minute.
As Hurricane Francine approaches the northern Gulf Coast ahead of an expected landfall later today, the National Hurricane Center also is tracking four other tropical disturbances in the Atlantic basin, according to the latest advisory.
One of the newest disturbances is east of Florida.
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Francine is a strong Category 1 storm , as of 8 a.m. EDT, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. It’s expected to strengthen into a Category 2 storm today — with winds of 100 mph — while it’s over the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Hurricane Center said.
While the Hurricane Center puts the center of the storm west of Florida, some impacts could be felt in the state, especially in the Panhandle, including heavy rain and a threat for tornadoes.
Elsewhere in the tropics, the Hurricane Center is tracking four other systems in the Atlantic Ocean. One could become a tropical depression later this week, and the one east of Florida could see some subtropical or tropical development early next week.