A tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to remain in southern Louisiana and head for Florida, hurricane forecasts announced Monday.
Still, it could still bring rain to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast by mid-week. Heavy rain is possible south of Interstate 10, according to the Slidell National Meteorological Service.
Meteorologists said the additional rain would be problematic because much of southeastern Louisiana is still soaked from Hurricane Ida, which happened as a Category 4 storm a week ago. Additional rain could cause rapid flooding and slow cleaning and restoration efforts.
Storms could fall 2 to 3 inches of rain in a short period of time.
On Monday, parts of southeast Louisiana are being monitored for flooding, related to another storm threat. And there’s a heat warning in effect, with forecasters warning the temperature “looks like” it could reach 105 degrees on Monday. Thousands remain powerless after Ida, complicating efforts to find relief from the heat.
Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, Hurricane Larry has consolidated into a major Category 3 storm.
That’s what you need to know about the tropics starting at 11 a.m. Monday.
Tropical disturbance in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico
image through the National Hurricane Center
Meteorologists are following a disturbance over the Gulf of Mexico that is expected to head north toward the Gulf Coast.
It has a 30% chance of becoming a tropical depression in at least five days and will be called Mindy if it strengthens in a tropical storm.
As of 7 a.m., the disorganized rains and storms associated with the system were in the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Gulf of Mexico.
It is expected to move slowly from north to northeast and reach the northern shore of the gulf in a few days, the National Hurricane Center said.
The shaded area of the chart is where a storm can develop and is not a clue. The National Hurricane Center publishes a clue when a tropical depression is forming or is about to form. The categories, in order of increasing strength, are tropical depression, tropical storm and hurricane (categories 1 to 5).
Possible development
Environmental conditions are expected to be “marginally” conducive to tropical development in a couple of days, according to forecasts. The disturbance is expected to cross the southeastern U.S. in the middle of the week and head toward the Atlantic.
Some developments are possible once it hits the Atlantic later this week, according to forecasters.
Read the full notice.
Hurricane Larry has been a powerful storm in the Atlantic
image through the National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Larry is a large, powerful storm in the Atlantic, forecasts added to its morning warning.
As of 10 a.m., it was about 715 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands and 1,015 miles southeast of Bermuda. It moves northwest at 10 mph.
Larry has winds of 120 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane. Category 3 and stronger storms are considered major hurricanes by the National Hurricane Center.
Some fluctuations in strength are possible over the next two days, forecasts added, and then a gradual weakening is expected.
The waves generated by Larry affect the Lesser Antilles and will extend westward into parts of the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas and Bermuda on Monday and Tuesday. These waves are likely to cause life-threatening surfing and tear up current conditions.
“Significant” waves are expected to hit the east coast of the United States in the middle of the week and continue through the end of the week.
Read the full notice.
Next name available
A grocery cart is loaded with items ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.
The next available name is Mindy. Systems are named when they are strengthened in tropical storms.
Storms Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Elsa, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Julian, Kate and Larry formed earlier this season. Elsa, Grace, Ida and Larry were strengthened in hurricanes.
Last year there were so many storms that forecasts ran out of names and they had to use the Greek alphabet. It is only the second time in recorded history that Greek names were used.
Things have changed for this season. If necessary, forecasts will use a list of additional storm names instead of Greek names.
Storm categories
The Atlantic Basin hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but storms can form at any time.
On the wind scale of Hurricane Saffir-Simpson, the wind categories are:
- Tropical Storm: 39 to 73 mph
- Category 1 hurricane: 74 to 95 mph
- Category 2 hurricane: 96 to 110 mph
- Category 3 hurricane (major hurricane): 111 to 129 mph
- Category 4 hurricane: 130-156 mph
- Category 5 hurricane: 157 mph and above
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Carlie Kollath Wells is a breaking news reporter on NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Lawyer.