The National Hurricane Center on Saturday continued to track not one but two tropical storms -- Laura and Marco -- and both appear headed for the Gulf of Mexico next week.
Both storms have uncertain long-range tracks, but both are expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast next week.
Tropical Storm Laura could be a hurricane when it makes landfall, possibly in Louisiana, and Tropical Storm Marco had strengthened on Saturday and could hit the Texas coast at tropical storm strength.
Here’s the latest on the two storms.
TROPICAL STORM LAURA
Tropical Storm Laura was passing Puerto Rico on Saturday morning and was headed for Hispaniola. It could make it into the Gulf of Mexico by late Monday or early Tuesday.
LAURA: WHAT’S NEW
Tropical Storm Laura was still rather disorganized on Saturday and was near eastern Puerto Rico.
Laura was a minimal tropical storm with 40 mph winds but is still expected to become a hurricane next week when it is in the Gulf of Mexico.
The forecast track has shifted west and slowed down and now has Laura approaching the Louisiana coast on Wednesday.
Laura’s long-range track is still still quite uncertain, and it will be sharing space in the Gulf with Tropical Storm Marco.
Interaction between the two storms was looking less likely on Saturday, however, according to forecasters.
LAURA: LOCATION
As of 7 a.m. CDT Saturday, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located 50 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
LAURA: TRACK FORECAST
Laura was tracking to the west rather quickly at 21 mph on Saturday, according to the hurricane center.
Laura is forecast to move near Puerto Rico this morning, then near or over Hispaniola this afternoon and reach eastern Cuba on Sunday.
The track takes the center of the storm over land for considerable stretches in both Hispaniola and Cuba.
But Laura could strengthen once it gets into the Gulf, and the long-range track has what could be a hurricane approaching the Louisiana coast on Wednesday.
But it’s far from certain where Laura will go.
“The track guidance is spread from the Florida Keys to the western end of Cuba as the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico, and the models have potential landfall locations along the Gulf coast from the Florida Panhandle to the middle Texas coast,” the hurricane center said in a Saturday morning forecast discussion.
“One complicating factor is the potential for interaction with Tropical Storm Marco, although at this time the model guidance suggests the storms will stay far enough apart to prevent direct interaction.”
LAURA: INTENSITY FORECAST
Laura had 40 mph winds on Saturday, making it a minimal tropical storm. The hurricane center said slow strengthening will be possible in the next few days, but the center of the storm could be over land for some of that time.
Laura could become a hurricane, but not until Wednesday when it’s well into the Gulf of Mexico.
The intensity forecast has Laura peaking with 85 mph winds.
LAURA: WATCHES AND WARNINGS
A tropical storm warning is in effect for...
* Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* British Virgin Islands
* St. Maarten
* St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
* The northern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border with Haiti
* The southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque
* The northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas to the border with the Dominican Republic
* The southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
A tropical storm watch is in effect for...
* The central Bahamas
LAURA: WHAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE IS SAYING
The National Weather Service in Mobile was watching Laura closely but said uncertainty is too high with its long-range track to list potential impacts to the Alabama coast.
There will be a high risk for rip currents along the Alabama and northwest Florida coasts beginning on Sunday and lasting at least through mid-week.
TROPICAL STORM MARCO
Tropical Storm Marco had gotten stronger on Saturday morning but isn't expected to become a hurricane. It will approach the Texas coast on Tuesday.
MARCO: WHAT’S NEW
Marco became a tropical storm late Friday and has gotten stronger as of Saturday morning with 50 mph winds.
The storm was heading toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday. It will clip the peninsula and then move into the southern Gulf of Mexico and head toward the Texas coast.
Marco isn’t expected to become a hurricane as of the most recent advisory from the National Hurricane Center, but it could be near hurricane intensity (74 mph or higher winds), when it moves across the Gulf on Sunday into Monday.
MARCO: LOCATION
As of 7 a.m. CDT Saturday, Tropical Storm Marco was about 110 miles east of Cozumel, Mexico.
MARCO: TRACK FORECAST
Marco was tracking to the north-northwest at 12 mph. The official forecast path from the hurricane center has Marco approaching the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula today. It will clip the peninsula and then head into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.
The track takes the storm northwest across the Gulf and has it approaching the central Texas coast on Tuesday.
The hurricane center said many models are now suggesting Marco won’t get tangled up with Tropical Storm Laura when both are sharing the Gulf.
MARCO: INTENSITY FORECAST
Marco had 50 mph winds on Saturday and could get stronger once it gets into the Gulf on Sunday.
It could be near hurricane strength once in the Gulf, but the forecast doesn’t explicitly call for it to become a hurricane anymore. Wind shear is forecast to increase as Marco nears Texas, which should keep the storm in check.
The intensity forecast suggest Marco could peak as a strong tropical storm with 70 mph winds in about 48 hours and then slowly weaken, with winds of around 60 mph at landfall in Texas.
However, forecasters continued to caution that there’s still some uncertainty in the forecast.
“It is still too soon to know exactly the location and magnitude of impacts the system will produce along the central or northwestern Gulf Coast, and interests in that area should continue monitoring the progress of this system over the next few days,” the hurricane center said Saturday.
MARCO: WATCHES AND WARNINGS
A hurricane watch is in effect for...
* Punta Herrero to Cancun, Mexico
A tropical storm warning is in effect for...
* Punta Herrero to Dzilam, Mexico
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Tropical storms Laura, Marco both still on path for the Gulf next week - AL.com
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