Heavy rains to hit the Gulf as tropical depression conditions rise
Extreme weather will be threatening Gulf states and the West Coast over the next week, according to the latest forecast.
There is a 50% chance for the development of a tropical depression in the next 48 hours and a 70% chance over the next seven days, in the western Gulf of Mexico.
This system is expected to bring heavy rain to the Mexico, Texas and Louisiana coasts in the coming days.
Rain from this system may begin as early as Tuesday but will come into play on Wednesday and Thursday when the heaviest rain is expected to fall.
The coast of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of the Florida panhandle may see five to 10 inches of rainfall over the course of a few days next week from this tropical system, which would create a flood risk.
Some cities impacted include Houston, Brownsville, Beaumont, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola.
Stronger wind gusts will also accompany the heavy rainfall.
There is another system in the Atlantic that has a 40% chance of development over the next week.
A third complex has just a 20% chance of formation in the next seven days.
A lack of precipitation and high heat is creating a dangerous mix on the West Coast.
The excessive heat warning in effect for more than 15 million people in southern California is in place through Monday where temperatures each day could reach 100 to 110.
Some of the heat alerts, however, are set to expire on Saturday in the Pacific Northwest and central California.
There are also Red Flag Warnings in effect for fire weather due to the hot and dry conditions which would allow fires to spark and spread with ease.
There have been six new large fires in California since Thursday, according to Cal Fire. The largest is the Line Fire which sparked on Thursday and is nearing 4,000 acres burned with 0% contained.
This has led to evacuation orders in San Bernardino County.
While the near future is still hot for much of the West, there is a possible break in the extreme heat for the middle of the month as the Midwest and East begin to feel the above-average temperatures for a change.
