The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued Forecast Advisory Number 2 for Tropical Depression Two at 9:00 p.m. UTC on Sunday, July 19, 2026, tracking a developing tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico.
As of the advisory, the center of the depression was located near latitude 27.5 degrees North and longitude 85.0 degrees West. Forecasters say the position is accurate within about 30 nautical miles. The storm was essentially stationary at the time of the report, with no forward movement detected.
Maximum sustained winds were measured at 25 knots, with gusts reaching up to 35 knots. The storm’s minimum central pressure was estimated at 1010 millibars.
Looking ahead, the National Hurricane Center’s forecast calls for gradual strengthening over the next several days. By Monday evening, winds are expected to increase to around 35 knots. The storm is projected to continue drifting northward and westward, with winds potentially climbing to 45 knots by early Wednesday morning and reaching 50 knots — near tropical storm force — by Wednesday evening near longitude 88.8 degrees West.
The extended outlook through Thursday and Friday shows the system maintaining around 50-knot winds before weakening slightly as it moves inland, with the storm projected to reach the Louisiana coast area by Friday.
Forecasters caution that track errors on extended outlooks average around 125 nautical miles on Day 4 and 175 nautical miles on Day 5, with intensity errors averaging about 15 knots per day in the extended range.
Ships within 300 nautical miles of the storm’s center have been asked to submit reports every three hours. The next full advisory was scheduled for 3:00 a.m. UTC Monday, with an intermediate public advisory expected at midnight UTC. The forecast was issued by forecaster Cangialosi.
