Weather tracker: Francine will likely be the next hurricane in the Atlantic | Hurricanes

Francine could be the next Atlantic hurricane to hit the Atlantic this week. On Friday, a large low-pressure system known as Invest 91L formed in the Gulf of Mexico. An “Invest” – an abbreviation for “investment area” – refers to a region of atmospheric disturbance characterized by low pressure and thunderstorms that is being closely watched because it could develop into a tropical cyclone.

Invest 91L is expected to find more favorable environmental conditions as it moves northward over the coming days, tracking along the east coast of Mexico and Texas. The National Hurricane Center has now classified it as a potential tropical cyclone and it is expected to attain hurricane status before reaching the U.S. Gulf Coast. It notes that hurricane and storm surge warnings will likely be issued for coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana on Monday, with impacts expected to be felt starting Tuesday night.

While the wind speeds may not be the most noticeable feature, the associated rainfall could make for some challenging conditions. As Invest 91L moves inland, East Texas and Louisiana could see heavy rainfall on Thursday, with some areas receiving up to 4 inches (100 mm) of rain in a six-hour period.

South America is expected to see a significant rise in temperatures over the course of this week, with daily highs reaching 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. Both Brazil and Paraguay are expected to see temperatures around 10 degrees above the seasonal average, with Rio de Janeiro reaching 36 degrees on Wednesday and Asunción in Paraguay reaching 37 degrees. The most extreme climate anomalies, however, will be in Argentina. In Córdoba, temperatures of 35 degrees are expected on Tuesday, 13 degrees above normal.

In contrast, central Europe will experience a dramatic drop in temperatures after the hottest summer on record. From Tuesday, an influx of Arctic air will move across the UK and central Europe into the Mediterranean, causing daily maximum temperatures to fall by more than 10 degrees below the seasonal average.

In Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, daily highs on Thursday and Friday will barely reach double figures. Innsbruck in Austria is expected to be the coldest, with temperatures there about 13 degrees below normal. The predicted daily high of 23 degrees on Wednesday will drop to a maximum of 8 degrees on Friday.