Tropical Storm Nate forms in southwest gulf

Tropical Storm Nate formed late this afternoon in the Bay of Campeche. At 4 p.m., Nate was located about 125 miles west of Campeche, Mexico, and about 190 miles northwest of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving east-southeast at 2 mph. The National Hurricane Center says that some strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours, and Nate could become a hurricane by Friday. The Mexico government has issued tropical storm warnings from Chilitepec to Celestun. The storm is in an area of very weak steering flow between the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee over the eastern U.S. and a ridge over northern Mexico. Little net motion is expected for the next day or two because of this pattern. But a ridge over the western Caribbean Sea is forecast to build, which should cause Nate to move toward the north and eventually turn to the left. For more information on Nate, click here for the National Hurricane Center’s website.