In a hurry? Here's the tropics situation in less than a minute .
What was a tropical storm all day Tuesday has now become Hurricane Francine , as expected, as of the the National Hurricane Center's 7 p.m. CDT advisory.
The storm now has winds of 75 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect along the coast of Louisiana, along with various tropical storm warnings and storm surge warnings .
A tropical storm warning extends along the Gulf Coast to the border between Alabama and Florida.
On the forecast track, Francine is forecast to move across the northwestern Gulf of Mexico tonight, and make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.
➤ Spaghetti models for Francine
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The National Hurricane Center has lowered its forecast and now predicts Francine will be a Category 1 hurricane with 90-mph winds before making landfall.
Impacts expected include hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and storm surge.
Francine is the first Atlantic named storm in almost a month. There hasn't been a storm since Ernesto formed Aug. 12. The last time there was no named storm in the Atlantic basin between Aug. 13 and Sept. 8 was 1968.
Where is Hurricane Francine? What you need to know
- Location : 150 miles east of the mouth of the Rio Grande; 350 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana
- Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph
- Movement : northeast at 10 mph
- Pressure : 982 mb
Interactive map: Excessive rainfall forecast
Spaghetti models: Latest models on where Hurricane Francine could make landfall
Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Watches, warnings issued across Florida, US
Hurricane warning:
- The Louisiana coast from Cameron eastward to Grand Isle
Storm surge warning:
- Sabine Pass Texas to the Mississippi/Alabama Border
- Vermilion Bay
- Lake Maurepas
- Lake Pontchartrain
Storm surge watch:
- Mississippi/Alabama Border to the Alabama/Florida Border
- Mobile Bay
Hurricane watch:
- Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, including metropolitan New Orleans
Tropical storm warning:
- Texas and Louisiana coasts east of High Island to Cameron
- East of Grand Isle Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
- Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, including metropolitan New Orleans
How strong is Hurricane Francine and where is it going?
At 7 pm. CDT, the center of Hurricane Francine was located near latitude 25.8 North, longitude 94.8 West. Francine is moving toward the northeast near 10 mph. A faster northeastward motion is expected tonight and Wednesday.
On the forecast track, Francine is anticipated to make landfall in Louisiana Wednesday afternoon or evening.
After landfall, the center is expected to move northward into the Mississippi Wednesday night and Thursday.
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Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected through Wednesday morning. Francine is expected to weaken quickly after it moves inland.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) east of the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center.
The minimum central pressure based on data from the Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunters is 982 mb (29.00 inches).
Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Hurricane Francine
- There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge for the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines, where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. Residents in the warning area should follow advice, including evacuation orders, given by local officials.
- Damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds are expected in portions of southern Louisiana Wednesday, where a Hurricane Warning is in effect. Preparations to protect life and property should be complete by tonight, since tropical storm conditions are expected to begin within this area early Wednesday.
- Francine is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding across eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle through Thursday. Flash and urban flooding is probable across the Lower Tennessee Valley and Lower Mississippi Valley Wednesday night into Friday morning.
Current forecast: How strong could Hurricane Francine get?
- As of 7 p.m. CDT: 75 mph
- 12 hours: 75 mph (Category 1 hurricane)
- 24 hours: 90 mph
- 36 hours: 65 mph (inland)
- 48 hours: 35 mph
- 60 hours: 30 mph
- 72 hours: 25 mph
- 96 hours: 25 mph
- 120 hours: dissipated
What impact could Hurricane Francine have and what areas could be affected?
- WIND : Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area Wednesday afternoon, with tropical storm conditions arriving in the warning area Wednesday morning. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Wednesday and Wednesday night.
- RAINFALL : Francine is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches across eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle through Friday morning. This rainfall could lead to considerable flash and urban flooding.
- STORM SURGE : The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
- Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, LA to Port Fourchon, LA: 5-10 ft
- Vermilion Bay: 5-10 ft
- Port Fourchon, LA to mouth of the Mississippi River, LA: 4-7 ft
- Cameron, LA to Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, LA: 3-5 ft
- Pointe a la Hache, LA to MS/AL Border: 3-5 ft
- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas: 3-5 ft
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. Storm surge is not expected to pose a threat to the risk reduction system levees. However, there may be some overtopping of local levees.
➤ Excessive rainfall forecast
- TORNADOES : A few tornadoes are possible Wednesday into Wednesday night across parts of southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.
- SURF : Swells generated by Francine are affecting much of the northwestern Gulf Coast. These swells are expected to spread across the remainder of the northern Gulf of Mexico coastline during the next day or so. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Atlantic tropics storm tracker
See new 'cone of concern' used with Hurricane Francine
The National Hurricane Center first launched its new "cone of concern " for Hurricane Ernesto on Aug. 14 and is using it now with Hurricane Francine.
Ernesto stayed well away from Florida and the U.S., so residents didn't see many differences between the original and new cone.
With Francine already affecting Texas and a day to go before an expected landfall in Louisiana, that's not the case with the new cone posted by the National Hurricane Center on its website.
One of the biggest differences between the two cones is that the new cone shows wind warnings issued for interior counties, not just those on the coast.
Both cones will be visible on the Hurricane Center's website. Find the new cone by going to the graphics page for the storm , then click on "New Experimental Cone," which is highlighted in red.
Differences you'll see:
- Watches and warnings for inland counties, not just coastal areas.
- White transparent shading for the entire five-day forecast, instead of white stippling (dots) for the four- and five-day forecast.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Francine now bearing down on the northern Gulf Coast. What to know
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