Tropical Storm Francine forms in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to become hurricane

Tropical Storm Francine formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning.

The system is expected to intensify into a hurricane before reaching Louisiana’s coastline by the middle of this week.

WATCH THE FORECAST | DOWNLOAD THE APPS

Here’s what the First Alert Weather Team says about the storm:

• Francine becomes the 6th named storm of the 2024 season.
• Forecast to become the 4th hurricane of the 2024 season.
• Forecast to make landfall as a hurricane along the Louisiana coastline Wednesday evening.
• The average date for the 4th hurricane of the season is September 16.
• This is the first time we’ve had a named storm in the “Atlantic” basin since August 20 (Ernesto).
• No local impacts from Francine.
• Get the latest updates by reading Talking the Tropics with Mike .

Follow Action News Jax Meteorologists on Twitter for updates:

Mike Buresh | Garrett Bedenbaugh | Corey Simma | Trevor Gibbs

LISTEN: Mike Buresh ‘All the Weather, All the Time’ Podcast

INTERACTIVE RADAR: Keep track of the rain as it moves through your neighborhood

SHARE WITH US: Send us photos of the weather you’re seeing in your area ⬇️