Tropical Storm Barry Heads Toward Mexico, Forecasters Say

By Bill Chappell

Published June 19, 2013 at 3:17 PM EDT

Tropical Storm Barry, the second named storm of the 2013 hurricane season, is expected to hit Mexico's southeastern coast.

The National Hurricane Center has issued coastal warnings in the Gulf of Mexico regarding Tropical Storm Barry. The second named storm of the 2013 hurricane season, Barry is currently in the southwest corner of the gulf; it is expected to make landfall in Mexico Thursday morning.

The center says an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft determined Wednesday that the storm, formerly called Tropical Depression Two, had strengthened. Barry is currently about 75 miles east-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico.

Current forecasts show that Barry is only about 50 percent likely to hit Mexico's coast with sustained tropical-storm-force winds (40 mph or higher). As of 2:45 ET p.m. Wednesday, the storm was moving to the west at a speed of 10 miles an hour, with maximum winds of 40 mph.

You can also track the storm at WNYC's hurricane-tracker page.

Thanks to NPR's Russell Lewis for alerting us to the new storm.