NWS monitoring potential tropical depression

The National Weather Service (NWS) office covering the south central Texas area announced Wednesday afternoon that The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave over the central Caribbean Sea which has potential to turn into a tropical depression during the next five days, and Texas landfall has not been ruled out.

"Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for development of the low if it remains over water, and a tropical depression could form late this week or this weekend while the system moves northwestward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico by Sunday," read a statement from NWS.

The statement said it is too early to provide specifics on a track or intensity forecast, but forecast models are generally in agreement that there will be an increase in moisture over the western Gulf of Mexico later in the week.

While a Texas landfall cannot be ruled out, it is too early to forecast rainfall and wind speed for South Central Texas, according to the NWS.

An update is expected Thursday afternoon.

For more information, visit weather.gov/austin and click on "Click Here to Track Tropical Cyclone Activity."