Tropical Storm Francine 4 p.m. update and an update from Dr. Michael Brennan with the NHC

And right now at 430 giving you a live look down on the island as tropical storm Francine brews way out in the Gulf. We have team coverage for you preparing you for any potential impacts which may be felt across our area. Meteorologist Kim Castro is here. It looks nice right now but tell us what's ahead. Yeah, not too shabby for the moment, but things are going to escalate quickly and even more so than we previously saw the National Hurricane Center. Their latest advisory now showing rapid intensification with tropical storm Francine right now, 65 mile an hour wind speeds. So it's close to category one hurricane. It's expected to reach that status during the overnight hours and then quickly become a category two hurricanes. So within 24 hour span, it is intensifying which is meets the criteria for rapid intensification then making a landfall, sustaining that strength along the Louisiana coastline, somewhere near Lake Charles. What are going to be the impacts for Houstonians? Well, we'll have those outer bands wrapping around bringing a scattered storms throughout our Tuesday, maybe lingering into early Wednesday, elevated with the coastline storm surge threat, the risk for flooding coastal erosion. So Galveston will be an area that we need to monitor closely. We also need to monitor the forecast because nothing is set in stone. We still have to watch how Francine turns and hopefully it does so quickly for now, weather impact alert day on our Tuesday watching widespread heavy rain potential and you need to make preparations just in case. Although right now, we're seeing the majority of the rain potential along the coastline, have a look at future track models right now. Stopping the clock, seven o'clock tomorrow morning, rain along the coastline. We'll take this into the lunch hour more rain for the coast, some showers into Harris County, another round of rain for the coastline. So that's where we have the thread for elevated issues along Galveston Island. There is a warning for coastal flooding goes into effect 10 pm tonight. Last until one o'clock Wednesday afternoon, a lot more to discuss in terms of what's going to steer Francine. I'll have the latest on why it's tracking east when I see you next. Sounds like a plan, Kim Castro bringing us up to speed and our tropical storm coverage continues right now, making sure you were always prepared for any potential storm out there including Francine. Yes, we are joined now by chief meteorologist David Paul and Doctor Michael Brennan, the director of Senator Dave. Doctor Brennan. The floor is yours. Hey, uh, Doctor Brennan, it's nice to see you although every time I see you there's a hurricane threatening or hopefully this one about to graze by us. And I wanted to talk about that first. Um, the uh 10 o'clock, the 1 p.m. and now the four pm, the tracks all seem to be similar. It looks like you guys at the Hurricane center are getting a little more confident in how this forecast track is going to play out. Yeah, you're right, David, and we've seen the storm get a lot better organized today. So now we have a much better idea of where the system's located. Now, we did see the center sort of jog a little westward during the day based on the aircraft data and what we're seeing now in the satellite imagery. So the track did shift about 30 or 35 miles a little to the left, but still keeps the core of the hurricane off much of the Texas coast, including the uh Houston area. Um So we're still gonna see the potential for peripheral impacts and we did go ahead and issue that tropical storm watch for the Texas coastline now to, you know, account for the possibility of those tropical storm conditions, especially if the track were to shift a little farther to the left uh in the next 12 to 24 hours. Well, I know this is a, this is a tough forecast for you guys because you, you've got a huge population right on the coast. Here in Houston Galveston. And now you've got potentially a cat too, but the forecast has it just grazing by us and, and way too close for comfort. But what I wanted to address with you is, and, and explain to our viewers because we are going to be on the weak side of this storm. That may be what makes the biggest difference in, in lowering the impacts here. Yeah, you're right. You know, if the center passes, you know, east or southeast of the Houston Galveston area, you're going to be on sort of the west on the west side of the storm with the offshore flow drier air, you know, the winds are going to be weaker because the storm's gonna be accelerating and those uh you know, faster forward motion is going to add to the wind speed of the storm on the right side, reduce it on the left. So again, most of those impacts are going to be sort of right along the immediate coast, but they're going to rapidly increase just as you go a little farther east, you have tropical storm warnings, uh you know, in effect for the extreme upper Texas coast and we go right to a hurricane warning from Sabine pass eastward. So it's pretty sharp gradient. That's what we see a lot of times with strengthening of storms and powerful hurricanes. But again, the west side is usually a little easier in terms of impacts and that's what we're hoping is going to be the case for the Houston Galveston area with Francine. We are hoping for the best and we are thinking of our neighbors in Louisiana who may take a hard hit from this. Doctor Michael Brennan is director of the National Hurricane Center. Doctor Mike. Thanks for your time. Um.