Posted: Tue, 7 Sep 2010 07:10 AM - 7,983 Readers

By: KXAN News

Tropical Storm Hermine

Tropical Storm Hermine is expected to surge into Texas in the next 24 to 36 hours - either moving up the Rio Grande or heading into East Texas, according to varying models.

Rain is a good bet in Central Texas starting late Monday, with widespread rain from three to five inches possible through Wednesday - though isolated amounts up to 10 inches are not out of the question.

Flash flood watches for much of the Hill Country went into effect in the wee hours Monday through noon. Check here for the latest on those.

And you can track the hurricanes and tropical storms right here.

Meanwhile, a hurricane watch was issued for the coasts of Texas and Mexico in the Gulf on Monday as Hermine approached.

The watch covered the area from Rio San Fernando, Mexico, northward to Baffin Bay in Texas.

Hermine's maximum sustained winds had increased to near 50 mph. Additional strengthening is expected and the storm could approach hurricane strength before making landfall.

Early Monday, Hermine was located about 205 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, moving north-northwest near 13 mph.

Heavy rain was predicted with northeastern Mexico into south Texas getting 4 to 8 inches with as much as a foot in some places. The storm could cause flash floods and mudslides.

On its current track, Hermine does not threaten the main concentration of U.S. oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The center of Hermine is expected to approach the coast of northeastern Mexico or extreme southern Texas in the warning area early Tuesday morning," the hurricane center said earlier.

Tropical storm Gaston

In the Atlantic, the remnant low of Tropical Storm Gaston continued to move westwards and had a high chance of reforming as a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours, the hurricane center said. At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), it was located about 400 miles east of the northern Caribbean Leeward Islands.

The hurricane center said heavy rains and gusty winds from this system should begin to affect portions of the Leeward Islands later on Monday.

U.S. forecasters say Gaston could threaten Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica or the Turks and Caicos Islands in the coming days, depending on its track.

But it was still too early to tell whether Gaston could eventually threaten the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, where major U.S. oil and gas production and refining operations are located, or Florida.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and is currently in its peak period.

*  Story Contributed by: KXAN News