Tropical Storm Isaias was officially upgraded from a disturbance to a named cyclone in the Gulf on Wednesday, with sustained winds in excess of 38 miles per hour — but meteorologists didn’t expect much of an impact to Texas.
The storm could develop into the Atlantic's first hurricane this season.
A hurricane watch has been issued to parts of the northern Gulf Coast. The Florida Panhandle, Southern Alabama and Mississippi could face "damaging" winds from the forecasted hurricane, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Storm Isaias is expected to bring heavy rain to the central U.S. Gulf Coast and much of the Southeast on Friday and into the weekend. Flooding is a possibility.
The hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, according to the NWS. It's been an unusually quiet season due to the formation of a strong El Niño climate pattern, which causes wind shear that destroys these hurricanes. Meanwhile, the Pacific Ocean has seen more hurricanes than in a typical year due to the weather pattern.
Houston is expected to see continued cooler nights into the weekend.
More information can be found on hurricanes.gov
Copyright 2026 Houston Public Media News 88.7