A tropical depression churning in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to gain enough strength to be classified as a tropical storm before the day is out, forecasters say.
As of 7:00 AM Central Daylight Time on Monday, July 20, the center of Tropical Depression Two was positioned near latitude 28.6 North, longitude 85.6 West. The storm was drifting to the northwest at just 3 miles per hour.
The system’s minimum central pressure stood at 1006 millibars, with maximum sustained winds clocking in at approximately 35 mph — just below the 39 mph threshold needed to earn tropical storm status.
Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft are currently flying into the depression to gather real-time data on its structure and intensity.
Residents along Gulf Coast communities should monitor the latest updates from the National Hurricane Center as the storm continues to develop.
