Tropical Storm Nicholas is within hours of landfall in Texas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Tropical Storm Nicholas is heading for the Texas coast as we speak.

People living along the coast are already getting heavy rain, gusty winds and dangerous storm surge. Winds are sustained at 65mph and it is moving NNE at 12mph.

Some strengthening is expected before it makes landfall later tonight. It could be near hurricane strength before making landfall.

Models take Nicholas up along the Texas coast and then into Louisiana and Mississippi - places that just don’t need any more rain right now. Most models are keeping most of the precipitation to the SW of us. We could actually use the rain.

There are also two other disturbances we are watching. One just came off the coast of Africa, but it has an 80% chance of formation over the next five days. Obviously, that one is very far from the Carolinas right now.

The other one has the possibility of forming a few hundred miles north of the Bahamas by midweek. This one is much closer to the US. While it could form into a tropical storm most models are keeping it off the Carolina coast.

However, rain and choppy seas aren’t out of the question along our beaches.

We will continue to monitor all of these.

Meteorologist Leigh Brock

Copyright 2021 WBTV. All rights reserved.