Tracking The Tropics: Depression #3 Becomes Tropical Storm Cristobal

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Tropical Depression number 3 became Tropical Storm Cristobal on Tuesday afternoon in the Gulf of Mexico.

TS Cristobal became the third tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially started Monday.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the tropical storm was located about 140 miles west-southwest of Campeche, Mexico.

It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was crawling to the southwest at 3 mph.

The storm is forecast to move slowly southwestward or southward through Tuesday night and meander over the southern Bay of Campeche through late Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Cristobal is forecast to be near the coast of the southern Bay of Campeche Tuesday night through Thursday.

Some strengthening is possible during the next day or so.

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The government of Mexico has a Tropical Storm Warning in effect from Campeche to the port of Veracruz on that country's Gulf Coast. The warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere in that warning area within 36 hours.

Deadly flooding has already been occurring in parts of Guatemala and El Salvador.