US braced for tropical storms
A tropical storm watch has been issued for parts of Texas and Mexico as a tropical depression formed in the central Gulf of Mexico.
At 11pm EDT (4am Irish time), the fifth depression of the Atlantic hurricane season was centred about 425 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, and about 425 miles east of La Pesca, Mexico.
The depression is moving towards the northwest at nearly 10mph.
Maximum sustained winds were near 30mph. A tropical storm has winds of at least 39mph.
The National Hurricane Centre issued a tropical storm watch for the Texas coast from Freeport southwards.
The government of Mexico has issued a tropical storm watch for the northwest coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.
A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.
