US Gulf coast braces for storm impact as hurricane season intensifies

Americans' respite from dangerous storms likely to end with potential hurricane threatening Texas and Louisiana

A relatively quiet respite for Americans in terms of hurricane activity appears as if it is coming to an end, with a storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico that is set to become a hurricane when it reaches the US coast on Wednesday.

The storm, called tropical storm Francine, was located about 300 miles south of the mouth of the Rio Grande and is expected to move north, hitting the gulf coastline of Louisiana, as a category one or even two hurricane. Such storms have wind speeds of at least 74mph (119km/h).