Tropical Storm Don forms over Gulf of Mexico
Don, the fourth named storm of the June 1-November 20 Atlantic hurricane season, was located about 120 miles (190 kilometers) north of Cozumel, Mexico and 755 miles (1,220 kilometers) east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, the NHC said.
It had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour and was moving west-northwest at 12 miles (19 kilometers) per hour.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but the NHC warned that "interests in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of Don" and that portion of the Texas coast may need to be placed under watches or warnings later Wednesday or Thursday.
The storm was expected to move in a northwesterly direction for the next two days, passing through the southern and central Gulf of Mexico before approaching the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday.
"Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours," the Miami-based US forecasters added.
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011