NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM BETA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 6 AM, TUESDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2020.

...BETA EXPECTED TO STALL INLAND OVER TEXAS TODAY… …HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE AND UPPER TEXAS COAST…

AT 5 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BETA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.8° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 96.7° WEST,OR ABOUT 35 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF PORT O’CONNOR, TEXAS.

BETA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH. BETA IS EXPECTED TO STALL INLAND OVER TEXAS TODAY BUT WILL THEN BEGIN TO MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST TONIGHT. AN EAST-NORTHEAST TO NORTHEAST MOTION WITH INCREASING FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF BETA WILL MOVE INLAND OVER SOUTHERN TEXAS THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND THEN OVER LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IE EXPECTED TODAY, BUT BETA IS LIKELY TO BEGIN WEAKENING BY TONIGHT THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: C. WATSON-RAHMING