Hurricane tracker: Latest forecast path as Tropical Storm Francine heads for Gulf Coast

A series of thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico — originally identified as a tropical disturbance — has turned into Tropical Storm Francine, according to the National Hurricane Center. Francine is expected to gain steam, intensify into a hurricane and make landfall along the central Louisiana coastline by the middle of the week.

Warnings for storm surges, hurricane and tropical storm conditions were issued for the Louisiana and Texas coasts Monday afternoon, with the hurricane center alerting people in the area to a "life-threatening situation" and recommending they take "all necessary actions to protect life and property."

"Francine is expected to bring storm total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with local amounts to 12 inches, from the coast of northeast Mexico northward over the far lower and far upper Texas coasts, across southern Louisiana, and southern Mississippi into Thursday morning," an advisory from the hurricane center warned. "This rainfall could lead to the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding."

Francine is expected to be just off the coasts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas Tuesday, moving to the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts Wednesday.

WAFB, the Baton Rouge, La., CBS affiliate, reported that school districts across the state have already begun to cancel school for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Where is Tropical Storm Francine now?

As of 4:30 p.m. CT, Tropical Storm Francine is in the Gulf of Mexico about 300 miles south of the Rio Grande.

• Location: Around 400 miles south of Cameron, La.

• Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph

• Present movement: North-northwest at 7 mph

With Francine gaining strength, the storm is now expected to be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall, with the potential to be a Category 3, according to Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist. The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon, as opposed to during the night as originally anticipated, Jones said in a briefing Monday.

Watches and warnings

Several warnings and watches for severe weather have been issued throughout the southern United States now that Tropical Storm Francine has officially been upgraded.

As of 4 p.m. CT, the NHC advisory included:

A storm surge warning for:

• High Island, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana

• Vermilion Bay, La.

A hurricane warning for:

• The Louisiana coast from Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texas, eastward to Morgan City, La.

A storm surge watch for:

• Mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border

• Lake Maurepas, La.

• Lake Pontchartrain, La.

A hurricane watch for:

• The Louisiana coast from Morgan City eastward to Grand Isle

A tropical storm warning for:

• Morgan City, La., to Grand Isle, La.

• High Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, to Sabine Pass, Port Arthur, Texas

A tropical storm watch for:

• Barra del Tordo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to the mouth of the Rio Grande

• Mouth of the Rio Grande to High Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

• East of Grand Isle, La., to mouth of the Pearl River, La., including metropolitan New Orleans

• Lake Pontchartrain, La.

• Lake Maurepas, La.

In addition, the hurricane center released these projections for storm surges:

• Cameron, La., to Port Fourchon, La.: 5-10 feet

• Vermilion Bay, La.: 5-10 feet

• Port Fourchon, La., to the mouth of the Mississippi River, La.: 4-7 feet

• High Island, Texas, to Cameron, La.: 3-5 feet

• Mouth of the Mississippi River, La., to the Mississippi/Alabama border: 2-4 feet

• Lake Pontchartrain, La., and Lake Maurepas, La.: 2-4 ft

• Mouth of the Rio Grande, Texas, to High Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Texas: 1-3 feet

• Galveston Bay, Texas: 1-3 feet

Jones also said that landfalling tropical cyclones often produce short, quick tornadoes, so those in the projected landfall area should expect the possibility of a tornado.

Severe weather warnings mean the conditions are expected in an area for the next 36 hours; watches indicate the weather is expected within the next 48 hours.