Tropical Storm Karl Has Formed In The Gulf of Mexico

The National Hurricane Center is advising that Invest 93L, which originally spun off Hurricane Julia, has reached tropical storm strength.

Tropical Storm Karl, as it is now referred to, is swirling around the southwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico, and is expected to cause a lot of localized heavy rainfall and flflash flooding. The storm formed very quickly on Tuesday, starting as Invest 93L as it hit the Gulf and quickly reached Tropical Storm strength.

Forming in the Bay of Campeche, the storm is not currently expected to be a threat to the Gulf Coast of the United States. Instead, weather conditions in the Gulf later this week will push it back toward Mexico.

The last storm to hit Mexico, Hurricane Julia, made landfall in Nicaragua this past weekend. It ultimately through the nation and reemerged in the Pacific Ocean, where it is now moving along the western coast of Mexico.

This system spun off of Julia and merged with another storm front, creating Karl. It is expected to make landfall in Mexico on Thursday or Friday. However, tropical-storm-force winds will hit the Mexican coast much earlier.

Karl is the thirteenth named storm this hurricane season, which will start to wind down and officially end on November 30.

The National Hurricane Center has put out the following warning for the storm.

The Government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the coast of Mexico from Cabo Rojo southward to Puerto Veracruz.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Cabo Rojo to Puerto Veracruz
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
Interests elsewhere in southeastern Mexico should monitor the progress of this system.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor
products issued by your national meteorological service.