Tropical Storm Delta forms, expected to bring rain to North Carolina

By WRAL Severe Weather Center

Raleigh, N.C. — Tropical Storm Delta formed Monday and could bring rain to North Carolina later this week.

Tropical Depression 26 formed south of Jamaica on Sunday night. On Monday, it became a tropical storm. According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, the storm is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane over the next three days.

Delta is expected to become a Cat. 1 hurricane on Wednesday and is likely to make landfall near Louisiana or Mississippi as a Cat. 2 storm Friday.

Once the system makes landfall, it could move to the north or northeast, merge with a cold front and bring rain to North Carolina beginning Friday night into Saturday morning.

If the storm goes north of North Carolina, there could be stronger storms on Saturday and Sunday.

Gardner said that, for now, rain is the only impact expected because of the system.