The potential risk posed by a low pressure system over the Gulf of Mexico prompted the issuance of a Tropical Storm Warning for South Texas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the low pressure system as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine on Monday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was located at latitude 25.0°N and longitude 89.9°W which put it about 480 miles (770 km) east-southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas. The low pressure system was moving toward the west at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.
A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Port O’Connor, Texas to the Mouth of the Rio Grande, River. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas.
There was a large circulation around Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, but there was not a well defined surface center of circulation. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving counterclockwise in the large low pressure system. There were more thunderstorms in the bands in the northern side of the low pressure system than there were in the bands in the southern half of the circulation.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will move through an environment mostly favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. The low pressure system will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 31°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the central U.S. The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of the low pressure system. The winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere will also blow form the east. So, there will not be a lot of vertical wind shear over much of the lower pressure system. An upper level low over northern Mexico will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the southwestern part of the low pressure system. There will be more vertical wind shear in that region. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is likely to intensify to a tropical storm during the next 24 hours.
The upper level ridge will steer Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the low pressure system will reach the coast of South Texas on Tuesday morning. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will likely be a tropical storm when it reaches South Texas. It will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to South Texas. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. The low pressure system could also cause a storm surge of up to five feet (1.5 meters) along the coast.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Franklin was over the Caribbean Sea, Tropical Storm Gert was east of the Leeward Islands and former Tropical Storm Emily weakened to a tropical depression over the central Atlantic Ocean.
At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Franklin was located at latitude 15.0°N and longitude 70.1°W which put it about 240 miles (390 km) south of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Franklin was moving toward the west at 6 m.p.h. (10 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.
A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the south coast of Haiti from Anse d’Hainault to the border with the Dominican Republic. A Tropical Storm Warning was also in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to the border with Haiti. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to the border with Haiti.
At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Gert was located at latitude 16.9°N and longitude 57.0°W which put it about 410 miles (665 km) east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. Gert was moving toward the west at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.
At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Depression Emily was located at latitude 21.1°N and longitude 41.6°W which put it about 1225 miles (1965 km) west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Emily was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.