Tropical wave expected to move into Gulf

A tropical wave near Cuba is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday that the storm could cause high wind and heavy rain in southeast Louisiana as early as Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday that the storm has a 30% chance of developing further over the next two days and a 40% chance over the next five days.

Here are statements from government meteorologists:

From the National Hurricane Center:

1. A tropical wave is producing a large area of disorganized showers
and thunderstorms over western Cuba, the northwestern Bahamas,
southern Florida, and the adjacent waters of the Atlantic,
Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Gradual development of this
system is possible while it moves west-northwestward during the
next few days. This system is expected to cross the southeastern
Gulf of Mexico this afternoon and tonight, move over the central
Gulf on Wednesday, and reach the northwestern Gulf on Thursday and
Friday. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is
scheduled to investigate the system on Wednesday, if necessary.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30%.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium ... 40%.

From the National Weather Service in Lake Charles:

Wednesday through Monday.:
Showers and thunderstorms will again become more widespread Thursday
and Friday as a tropical disturbance moves west across the Gulf of
Mexico. The latest outlook from the National Hurricane Center has a
40% chance of this system becoming a tropical cyclone over the
next 2 to 5 days and interests across southwest Louisiana and
southeast Texas are encouraged to monitor the latest outlooks over
the next few days.

While this is still a few days out, any low pressure system that
develops over the Gulf is expected to move toward the Texas coast by
Friday. This could bring slightly higher winds across coastal areas.
In addition, some storms could produce locally heavy rainfall, along
with occasional cloud to ground lightning.