TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tropical Storm Cristobal officially formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.
The National Hurricane Center put out an advisory at 12:30 p.m. ET saying Hurricane Hunters found Tropical Depression Three had strengthened to become Cristobal. As of 11 p.m. ET, the tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
Tropical Storm Cristobal is about 50 miles north-west of Campeche, Mexico. It’s moving south at about 1 mph.
The latest track from the NHC brings Cristobal back south and onshore again in Mexico by Wednesday and Thursday, which would weaken the storm.
According to the NHC, Cristobal has already brought deadly flooding to parts of Guatemala and El Salvador. It’s expected to bring more heavy rain to parts of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Cristobal is the third named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which started on Monday. It’s the earliest third named storm of an Atlantic season since the NHC started naming storms.
TRACKING THE TROPICS:
- Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Epsilon churning toward Bermuda
- Epsilon strengthens into 10th hurricane of Atlantic season
- Tracking the Tropics: Disturbance in Atlantic has low chance of developing, NHC says
- 19-year-old tourist drowns in Florida Gulf Coast rip current unleashed by Delta remnants
- Tracking the Tropics: Delta adds insult to injury in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana
