DALLAS _ Forecasters are eyeing a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico that could strike the Texas coast by early next week.
Tropical Beta is expected to meander through the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend, before approaching the Texas coast early next week. Exactly what part of the coast the system hits was unclear early Friday, according to KXAS-TV (NBC5) meteorologist Grant Johnston.
"The forecast is still a bit uncertain, but they're watching it closely along the Texas coast," Johnston said.
The tropical storm could strengthen into a hurricane by Sunday before weakening back into a tropical storm before it hits Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As the system moved through the Gulf on Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state was preparing rescue crews, boats and other resources.
"As this tropical (storm) continues to move through the Gulf, the state of Texas is taking necessary precautions in the event of a major impact in the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend," Abbott said in a prepared statement. "This storm has the potential to bring heavy rain and flooding, and I urge the people the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend to heed the guidance of local emergency officials and remain vigilant."
As of Friday morning, it was unclear whether the tropical storm would have any effects on weather in North Texas, according to Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
"Much of our local forecast may actually depend on the future track of the system, of which a great deal of uncertainty exists beyond the first couple of days," Stalley said.
The most likely effects of the system on North Texas could be increased cloud coverage, slightly lower temperatures and a chance of showers, Stalley added.
Out in the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Wilfred developed Friday off the coast of western Africa. Wilfred was the last available name on this year's list of storm names, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"Get Out the Greek Alphabet For the Rest of 2020," the hurricane center said in a tweet.
Now that NOAA is out of names, the Greek alphabet will be used for storms that develop during the remainder of hurricane season. This is the second time on record that NOAA has run out of storm names; the first time was in 2005 _ the year Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana.
