Tropical Storm Beta’s rains aim for Texas, Louisiana

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- Tropical Storm Beta’s winds have decreased, but it will still pack a punch with heavy rain and coastal flooding in places like Galveston, Texas.

The storm’s center was 65 miles south-southwest of Freeport, Texas according to the 2 p.m. Monday advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph with a minimum central pressure of 999 millibars.

The storm is forecast to make landfall Monday into Monday night and slowly move northeastward along the northern Texas coastline over the next several days. It will then move inland Wednesday into early Thursday and lose its tropical characteristics by the end of the work week. Heavy rain and flooding will be the greatest concern with rainfall as much as 6 to 10 inches in some locations through Saturday morning. The Houston metro area could see between 2 to 6 inches of rain with a slight to moderate risk of flash flooding.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- As of 11:00 p.m., Tropical Storm Beta was 120 miles south of Galveston, Texas. The storm was moving to the WNW at 6 mph.

The thunderstorms associated with Beta weakened Sunday night due to wind shear and dry air. However, Air Force Hurricane Hunters confirmed that the storm still has 60 mph sustained winds.

The storm is still expected to make landfall south of Houston as a tropical storm on Monday. The storm is then forecast weaken into a tropical depression as it moves to the northeast along Texas' coast.

No direct impacts are expected in the Big Bend and South Georgia. However, the WCTV Pinpoint Weather Team will continue to monitor the storm over the next several days.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- Beta remained a tropical storm in the western Gulf of Mexico Sunday morning, but it will create a threat of flooding as it nears the Texas coast Monday.

Maximum sustained winds remained at 60 mph according to the 8 a.m. Sunday advisory from the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at 3 mph as it was 200 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. The storm remained sheared Sunday morning as convection appeared asymmetrical, limiting the storm’s intensification potential.

Regardless of intensity, as it’s expected to make landfall along the Texas coast as a tropical storm Monday or Tuesday, rainfall will be the big story for Texas and Louisiana. Rainfall totals of 10 to 15 inches are possible in some locations through Friday morning with locally higher amounts. The slow-moving speed of the storm will heighten the flooding threat.

Direct impacts on the Big Bend and South Georgia will be minimal as it will only help bring upper-level moisture to the area and keep cloud cover in place for Sunday through most of the first-half of the work week. The WCTV Pinpoint Weather Team will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Beta.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - At 11 p.m Saturday, Tropical Storm Beta was 235 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas with sustained winds of 60 mph. Beta is slowly moving to the north-northeast at 2 mph.

Tropical Storm Beta weakened Saturday night as wind shear in the Gulf of Mexico tried to break the storm apart. The strongest thunderstorms associated with Beta also weakened close to the storm’s center.

The National Hurricane Center now predicts that Beta will reach Texas' coast as a tropical storm Monday evening, instead of a hurricane. Beta is then expected to move to the northeast along Texas' coast before weakening into a tropical depression as the storm nears Louisiana Wednesday evening.

No direct impacts are expected in the Big Bend and South Georgia. However, the WCTV Pinpoint Weather Team will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Beta as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. One way to stay updated on the tropics is by downloading the WCTV Pinpoint Weather App.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and tropical storm advisories for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coast Saturday morning as Tropical Storm Beta moves slowly northwestward.

Maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph as it moved northwest at 3 mph according to the 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. The center of circulation was 305 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Advisories included a hurricane watch for Port Aransas, Texas to High Island, Texas.

The storm appeared torn by wind shear early Saturday morning as the convection was mainly on the eastern side of Beta, bringing heavy rain to parts of the Louisiana coastline. But, after sunrise, the shear relaxed enough to help develop strong thunderstorms near the western side of the center of circulation.

The storm is forecast to become a hurricane before nearing (or making landfall) on the Texas coast Monday night or Tuesday morning. Beyond Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center’s forecast has the storm moving slowly northeastward along the coast and into Louisiana by early Thursday. The slow movement of the storm would set the stage for a flooding threat for the region.

As of this post, Beta is expected to bring in mid- to upper-level moisture to the Big Bend and South Georgia and keep cloud cover in the vicinity in the near term. The storm is not expected to have a direct impact in the viewing area. The Pinpoint Weather Team will continue to monitor the progress of Beta.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - At 5 p.m. Friday, Tropical Storm Beta became the 23rd named storm in the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of 5:00 p.m., the storm was 335 miles ENE of Tampico, Mexico with sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm is moving to the ENE at 9 mph.

Beta is forecasted to move towards the southern coast of Texas over the next several days while strengthening. The current forecast has the storm reaching category one hurricane strength before moving along the coast of Texas.

For now, Tropical Strom Beta isn’t expected to impact the Big Bend and South Georgia. However, the WCTV Pinpoint Weather Team with continue to monitor the storm.

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