Tropical Storm Fausto has formed significantly off Mexico’s southwestern Pacific coast. Meanwhile, a tropical depression in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Florida Panhandle, is threatening to evolve into a named storm.
Fausto, initially a tropical depression, is located approximately 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) south-southwest of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. It is predicted to intensify steadily or rapidly, potentially becoming a hurricane by Monday night, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm currently boasts maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and is moving west-northwest at a speed of 13 mph (20 kph). At present, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Elida is weakening and is expected to become a remnant low in the coming days. On Sunday, Elida was approximately 1,015 miles (1,635 kilometers) west of the southern Baja peninsula with top sustained winds reaching 60 mph (95 kph).
Forecasters from the Miami-based hurricane center are closely monitoring a tropical depression influenced by warm waters south-southeast of the Florida Panhandle. This depression is projected to escalate into a tropical storm early this week. A tropical storm watch has been issued for sections of the Florida Panhandle through to the Alabama border. The slow-moving depression is anticipated to track near or along the northern Gulf Coast in the next few days.
Heavy rainfall is expected in coastal regions of northern Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana as the system moves westward towards Texas, states the hurricane center. On Sunday afternoon, the depression was almost stationary, positioned about 190 miles (310 kilometers) south-southeast of Panama City, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph).