Tropical Storm Dolly Heads toward Mexico

NOAA's National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning in effect from Cabo Rojo to Barra El Mezquital, Mexico as Tropical Storm Dolly approaches the country’s eastern coast. Tropical storm conditions are expected within this area within the next 12 hours.

Reports from an air force reconnaissance aircraft indicate that the center of Dolly is reforming south of the previous position.

At 1 p.m. (CDT), the center of tropical storm dolly was estimated near latitude 22.0 north, longitude 96.5 west.  Dolly is moving toward the west near 12 mph, and this general motion is expected over the next day or so.  The storm’s center will be near the coast of Mexico by this evening and move inland overnight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph, with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected before the center reaches the coast.  Weakening will occur after the center moves inland. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center, mainly to the southeast.

The air force plane reported a minimum central pressure of 1007 mb.

Dolly is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 5-10 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches across much of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, as well as northern Veracruz and eastern San Luis Potosi, Mexico through Wednesday evening. This rainfall is expected to cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides in areas of mountainous terrain.

Source: National Hurricane Center