Tropical Depression Number 8 will be named Hanna once it strengthens. It’s spinning about 415 miles from Port O’Connor, potentially bringing Tropical Storm-strength winds and potential flash flooding to Greater Houston late Friday through Saturday when it makes landfall closer to Corpus Christi. The National Hurricane Center’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft reports back at 1 pm Thursday that the system is slightly more southeast than their previous advisory in the morning. Communities in counties closer to the Gulf Coast could see up to six inches of rain. Swells along the coastline are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Hurricane Douglas is in the Pacific. It’ll start battering the Hawaiian Islands about the time Hanna starts hitting Houston.
Gonzalo is the one to watch, though. Tropical Storm Gonzalo is in the Atlantic about 850 miles east of the Windward Islands and is expected to be upgraded to hurricane status Friday. A Hurricane Watch is already posted for Barbados and neighboring islands with a prospect of seven inches of rain and lashing winds. It’s moving west-northwest at 14 mph with winds downgraded to 60 mph. Some strengthening is expected by tomorrow. The projected cone for Gonzalo has a lot of people watching its development closely.
By the way, there is another wave off the coast of Africa.