Hurricane Marco has been downsized to a tropical storm. The storm’s track shifted westerly and weakened overnight, according to a National Hurricane Center (NHC) update released Monday at 10 a.m.
With winds of 45-50 mph, it is now designated a tropical storm. Typically, tropical storms have winds from 40-73 mph.
Meteorologists are carefully watching conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. What looks like the simultaneous formation of two hurricanes in that area is unprecedented. Colorado State University researcher, Phil Klotzbach says it’s never happened before, at least since 1900, since weather data has been recorded.
The category of a hurricane is measured by the hurricane wind scale. Category 1 hurricanes have 74-95 mph winds. Category 2 hurricanes record 96-129 mph winds.
The center of tropical storm Marco was 55 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving northwest at only 8 mph.
Although forecasters expect Marco to brush the coast of Louisiana before it veers off slightly west, it continues to deteriorate.
