ORLANDO, Fla. – The Hurricane Hunter aircraft has confirmed that Francine has officially become a hurricane. As of 8 p.m., Francine is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and is moving in a northeastern direction at a speed of 10 mph.
The storm is predicted to gain strength until Wednesday before hitting the Louisiana coast on Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Hurricane warnings are currently in effect from just east of Lafayette to west of New Orleans. Additionally, tropical storm warnings are in place across Mississippi and extend all the way to the Alabama-Florida border.
On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center designated a new Invest, 93L. This disturbance is located off the African coast near the Cabo Verde islands and has an 80% chance of development within the next seven days.
Gordon is the next name on the list for the 2024 hurricane season.
