This one will be named Rita and is forecast to head straight to the gulf of mexico. Here's the latest forecast on this one. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/025617.shtml?5day?large
Storm in the Atlantic to Watch for Texans There is aa newly formed tropical depression (#18) out near the Turks in the Atlantic and it bears watching. The models are pretty divergent in terms of direction, but they all have it moving westward across the Gulf of Mexico over the next 5 days. Two have it aiming directly at the upper Texas coast. The other two have it hading towards northern Mexico and the southern Texas coast. Given its distance and if it avoids direct contact with mountainous Cuba (something all but one of the models are forcasting), this could be a major hurricane by late next week and bearing down on our neck of the woods (assuming you live along the Texas gulf coast). Given what happened in NOLA and the lack of preparadness of many along the Gulf Coast during Katrina, caution would most definitely be in order on this one. For more info: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
Thanks for the heads up Jeff. BTW here is a link to a looping satellite image of the western Atlantic region. Put things into yet another perspective. http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/watl-vis-loop.html
Phillipe is out there, 18 is out there, and 19 is just behind them.....gonna be a busy next 2 weeks. DD
Just noticed that the storm track has shifted a little south. The NOGAPS computer model has been one of the more accurate all season and it has the storm in the south central Gulf in a couple days and eventually a gradual west-northwest turn towards the extreme southern coast of Texas and northern Mexico. Only the BAM has the storm moving more northwesterly and towards the upper Texas coast as all the others have adjusted southward. Anyone along the Texas coast needs to keep an eye on now Tropical Storm Rita.