Gulf Depression Strengthens to Form Tropical Storm Cristobal

UPDATE: At 9 PM on Friday evening (June 5th) Tropical Storm Cristobal is located at 22.2°N 89.9°W or just off the northern coast of the Yucatan peninsula. Cristobal is now out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and headed north at 14mph with 40 mile-per-hour winds. The storm is around 595 miles away from the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm is expected to slowly strengthen overnight and into Saturday.

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Original Article from Tuesday 6/2

Eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico today as a tropical depression has strengthened to become Tropical Storm Cristobal.

With the potential for this storm to drift North and impact the southern gulf coast, the U.S. Navy has sent out their hurricane hunter aircraft to keep a close eye on the storm. Observations from the aircraft at 11 AM Tuesday indicated that the tropical depression had indeed become a tropical storm. Cristobal is packing sustained winds at 40 mph.

The concern right now is that if there was ever a good spot for a tropical storm to be in so that it could strengthen over water, Cristobal has found it. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a dreamy 80+ degrees near the Bay of Campeche. This is where the storm sits as it slowly moves back out over the water.

Hurricane Centers in the United States expect the storm to move northward this week but it is too soon to tell where it may make landfall or how strong the storm will be by that point. One thing is for certain and that is that heavy rainfall can be expected anywhere this storm goes. Stay weather aware and keep an eye on the Weather.gov hurricane center with this link.

The storm is currently located about 105 miles west of Campeche, Mexico. Mexico's government has issued a Tropical Storm Warning from Campeche to the port of Veracruz.