Texas got its first bout from the tropics on Tuesday after Tropical Storm Harold formed early Tuesday morning and made landfall on Padre Island.
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for an area along the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Port O'Connor. A section from Port O'Connor to Sargent is under a tropical storm watch.
Because it quickly moved across the Gulf of Mexico, it didn't have much time to gain strength. It had top sustained winds of 50 mph when it made landfall around 10 a.m. CT.
Now that its center is over land, Harold is expected to weaken quickly.
A widespread area of Texas is expected to receive 3 to 5 inches of rain, with some areas topping 7 inches. Areas under the tropical storm warning could also experience 1 to 3 feet of storm surge, the National Hurricane Center warned. Forecasters said tornadoes are also possible through the afternoon.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been a little more active than usual. Harold is the eighth named storm of the year.
SEE MORE: What is the difference between a tropical storm and hurricane?
On average, the eighth storm of the year forms Sept. 9.
Tropical Storm Franklin continues to churn in the Caribbean. It had top sustained winds of 50 mph as of early Tuesday morning. A tropical storm warning was in place for the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
It is expected to slowly drift into the Atlantic and become a hurricane south of Bermuda.
SEE MORE: Post-Tropical Storm Hilary pushes north and west on Monday
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