The Latest: Tropical storm likely to form in Gulf of Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on tropical weather (all times local):

5 p.m.

Forecasters say a disturbance in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is expected to soon become a tropical or subtropical storm that will take aim at the northern U.S. Gulf Coast in coming days.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm system was located Thursday afternoon about 570 miles (920) kilometers southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It has top sustained winds of 40 m ph (65 kph) and is moving to the north-northeast at 9 mph (15 kph). It says the system could become a named storm — Nestor — sometime late Thursday or on Friday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Mississippi-Alabama line to Aucilla River in Florida. Grand Isle, Louisiana to the mouth of the Pearl River is another area under a tropical storm warning. Forecasters warn the storm could spread blustery winds and heavy rain to the Florida Panhandle coast and inland. Arid regions of Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida are in the storm's possible track.

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10 a.m.

A disturbance in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is likely to become a tropical storm that will hit the northern U.S. Gulf Coast with wind and rain, forecasters said Thursday.

Moving off the eastern coast of Mexico, the low pressure system was likely to develop into a tropical or subtropical system before Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning for southeastern Louisiana and the northern Gulf Coast from the Alabama-Mississippi line to the Big Bend area of Florida.

The disturbance, which could become Tropical Storm Nestor, had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kmh) and was located about 600 miles (965 kilometers) southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was moving to...