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Tropical Storm Harold made landfall on the South Texas coast late Tuesday morning, becoming the first storm to make a US landfall in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
Harold came ashore on Padre Island, Texas, with sustained winds of 80.5km/h and higher gusts.
Heavy rain and strong winds will continue to slam portions of South Texas and Mexico and areas farther inland as Harold tracks westward on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up. Three tropical systems formed in 24 hours Saturday into Sunday. Harold now marks the fourth in four days.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port O’ Connor, Texas, with tropical storm watches in effect from Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas.
Harold will be able to dump 76-127 millimetres of rain across South Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday with locally higher amounts closer to 177mm. Across Mexico, 101-152mm of rain are expected.
As the storm moves inland Tuesday afternoon, wind speeds may ease up slightly but locally-damaging gusts of 48-64km/h will still be possible.
A storm surge of 304-914mm could briefly flood low-lying coastal areas along the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Sargent, Baffin Bay, Corpus Christi and Matagorda Bay.
Life-threatening surf and rip currents conditions will last across the southern Texas coast through Tuesday, and it’s possible the state may also see a few tornadoes develop.
The storm threat is moving into southern Texas as the region continues to battle one of its hottest, driest summers on record.
While this tropical system’s rains could help quench parts of the drought-stricken state, some of the worst drought conditions – areas of extreme and exceptional drought in Central Texas – might miss out on much of the rain.
Franklin packing potentially life-threatening flooding
Tropical Storm Franklin is set to slam Hispaniola by Wednesday with life-threatening flooding and mudslides. The storm will also bring heavy rainfall to Puerto Rico.
Franklin had sustained winds of 80.5km/h as of Tuesday morning, and was located over the Caribbean Sea about 418 kilometres south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is expected to make a hard turn to the north later Tuesday and make landfall in Hispaniola Wednesday.
Franklin will unload very heavy rain across Hispaniola Tuesday through Wednesday and raise the threat of flash flooding and mudslides.
Isolated rainfall amounts up to 380mm possible. Up to 150mm of heavy rain could fall in Puerto Rico through Thursday, but the island will escape the worst of Franklin.
