...HEAVY RAINS AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...
Tropical Storm Harold Advisory Number 5
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL092023
1000 AM CDT Tue Aug 22 2023
SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
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LOCATION...27.1N 97.4W
ABOUT 35 MI...55 KM N OF PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS
ABOUT 50 MI...80 KM S OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 285 DEGREES AT 21 MPH...33 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...998 MB...29.47 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
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CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
None.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Mouth of Rio Grande to Port O'Connor, Texas
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Port O'Connor to Sargent, Texas
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area.
Interests elsewhere in eastern Texas and northern Mexico should monitor the progress of this system.
For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
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Radar from Brownsville, Texas, indicate that the center of Harold has made landfall on Padre Island around 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC). The center of Tropical Storm Harold was located on the coast near latitude 27.1 North, longitude 97.4 West. Harold is moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph (33 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue, taking the system inland over southern Texas and northern Mexico.
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Steady weakening is forecast, and Harold is expected to become a tropical depression later today.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the center. An NOAA buoy at Padre Island reported a sustained wind of 40 mph (65 km/h) and a gust of 59 mph (94 km/h). An observation in Laguna Shores, Texas, reported a sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a wind gust of 48 mph (78 km/h).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 998 mb (29.47 inches).
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
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RAINFALL: Tropical Storm Harold is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with iso-lated higher amounts of 6 inches, across South Texas through early Wednesday. Scattered instances of flash flooding will be possible.
Across Mexico, rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches, with local amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon Tuesday through Wednesday. Scattered in-stances of flash flooding are expected.
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area during the next several hours.
STORM SURGE: The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the fol-lowing heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...
Mouth of Rio Grande to Sargent, including Baffin Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and Matagorda Bay...1 to 3 ft
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information spe-cific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
TORNADOES: A couple of tornadoes are possible across south Texas through the afternoon.
SURF: Large swells will affect portions of southern Texas today. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather of-
fice.
Forecaster Cangialosi
