Tropical Storm Emily forms in eastern Gulf near Florida

HOUSTON, Texas -- Tropical Storm Emily rapidly formed overnight in the eastern Gulf right off the Florida coastline.

Meteorologist Travis Herzog said the small storm will produce a lot of rain for the southern half of Florida as it moves eastward into the Atlantic. No impacts are expected here in Texas.

Emily formed along the same front that has brought lower humidity into Houston. Travis said anytime a front blows into the Gulf at this time of year we have to keep a close eye on it for rapid tropical development. That's how category 3 Hurricane Alicia formed in August of 1983 and made landfall in Galveston.

Some computer models hint at an area of low pressure developing along the cold front in the western Gulf and moving into Galveston Wednesday, but Travis said it does not look likely that it would develop into anything tropical.

Aside from Emily, the only other thing on the map right now are some tropical waves in the central Atlantic that have low odds of developing over the next five days.

Travis said long range computer models suggest we'll need to keep an eye on the Gulf next week as another rare summer front gets into the Gulf and combines with one of these tropical waves tugging in deep moisture from the Caribbean.

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