Tropical Storms Churning

The National Hurricane Center announced it is tracking multiple tropical systems, with three of the storms—dubbed Franklin, Emily, and Gert—forming within a 24-hour period.

Tropical Storm Franklin is projected to make landfall today on Hispaniola, the island comprising the Dominican Republic and Haiti, with sustained winds of about 50 mph, as of this writing. Emily, originating in the central Atlantic Sunday, weakened yesterday to a tropical depression with 35 mph winds. Similarly, Gert faces a short life span and poses no threat to land, with its winds hovering at 30 mph.

In the Gulf of Mexico, meteorologists are watching a disturbance with sustained winds of 35 mph that is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Harold today—storms are named at 39 mph—and bring tropical storm conditions to South Texas, which would mark the eighth storm to reach tropical storm strength this year.

Experts have warned of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, which peaks in September and runs through Nov. 30. The news comes as Tropical Storm Hilary hit Southern California over the weekend, bringing flash floods, mudslides, and power outages. See the aftermath of the storm here.