Zeta becomes Hurricane, Path Towards Gulf Coast with Impacts to LA Possible

2pm update: AirForce Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft has reported that Zeta has become a hurricane. It's reporting maximum sustained winds near 80 mph with higher gusts.

10am update: Tropical Storm Zeta formed in the western Caribbean Sea over the weekend. The forecast cone from the National Hurricane Center shows Zeta lifting northward in the Gulf of Mexico and strengthening at the same time before weakening as it reaches the U.S. Gulf Coast Wednesday afternoon.

Regardless of strength at landfall, heavy rains and strong winds will spread across the northern Gulf Coast as we get through Wednesday. This disturbance could be a close call for Acadiana but most of the significant impacts should stay east of our area. As of today, we're only expecting scattered rain for Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of Zeta but if the path happens to move further east, that would decrease the rain chances.