Gonzalo Strength Remains Steady; Tropical Storm Hanna Forms in Gulf

What to Know

The 11 p.m. advisory shows Gonzalo has sustained winds remaining at 60 mph
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
In the Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Depression 8 has strengthened to Tropical Storm Hanna

Tropical Storm Gonzalo continued to move across the Atlantic, while tropical depression eight has strengthened to Tropical Storm Hanna late Thursday night.

Gonzalo was centered about 730 miles east of the southern Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. A U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory said the storm was heading west at 14 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles from the center.

The Hurricane Center said that those in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm as it is expected to approach the islands late Friday and Saturday. As some strengthening is forecast, there is still a chance that Gonzalo could become a hurricane, but the storm is expected to weaken as it moves into the Caribbean Sea.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Tobago and Grenada.

When Gonzalo strengthened into a named storm Wednesday, it became the earliest named seventh tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The previous record was held by Tropical Storm Gert, which formed on July 24, 2005. So far this year, Cristobal, Danielle, Edouard and Fay also set records for being the earliest named Atlantic storms of their respective place in the alphabet.

In the Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Storm Hanna is located roughly 385 east of miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas, with sustained winds of 40 mph. Hanna is headed toward Texas/Mexico Border, away from South Florida, taking the soaking rain from the last two days with it.