As Beryl's forecast track shifts east, rain chances dropping for Austin area, Hill Country

(Talk1370.com) -- Tropical Storm Beryl continued to churn in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday morning, gaining strength ahead of a likely landfall as a hurricane along the Texas coast Monday morning.

As of 10 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center had the center of Beryl moving west-northwest at 12mph, with maximum sustained winds at 60mph.

Forecasters are expecting the storm to regain hurricane status by Sunday evening, with the forecast track putting the storm on path for a landfall along the Texas coast north of Corpus Christi before noon on Monday.

Recent tracks from the NHC have taken the forecast path further to the east of the Austin area, with the latest advisory calling for the center of circulation to pass just east of Victoria and northeast towards Bryan by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning as a tropical depression.

That shift to the east likely means lower chances for rainfall along the I-35 corridor. According to the National Weather Service, widespread totals of 2 to 4 inches are still possible in Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties, with higher totals further to the east.

Slight rain chances will remain in the forecast for much of the week, though chances will significantly fall off after Wednesday.