Tropical Storm Delta forecast to make Gulf Coast landfall as a hurricane

(WXXV) — Tropical Storm Delta has formed in the Caribbean and will move into the Gulf of Mexico in a couple of days.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, Tropical Storm Delta was moving toward the west at about 7 mph, and this general motion should continue for the next day or so. A faster northwestward motion is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On the forecast track, the center of Delta is expected to move away from Jamaica later today, move near or over the Cayman Islands later tonight, and approach the Isle of Youth and western Cuba Tuesday afternoon or evening.

Delta is forecast to move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center’s forecast cone extends from the western Florida Panhandle to eastern Texas. While it is still too early to pinpoint anything, most computer models show a landfall occurring somewhere along the northern Gulf Coast late Thursday or Friday as a Category 2 hurricane.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected during the next few days, and the tropical storm is expected to become a hurricane when it moves near or over western Cuba.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1002 millibars.

Changes to the forecast track and intensity are expected. Check back for updates.