A tropical storm is intensifying and is expected to reach typhoon strength before hitting southern China's coast on Sunday.

One of the two low-pressure areas (LPAs) being monitored within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression by Wednesday, July 23, the Philippine Atmospheric,

The storm remains disorganized on Wednesday but still has time to strengthen over the Gulf before making landfall on Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking Invest 93L. Could tropical storm Dexter develop? What is the weather forecast for travel? What we know

The system, identified as Invest 93L, originally developed east of Florida before traversing the entire state and ending up over Louisiana and Mississippi.

Forecasts suggested widespread rainfall totals between 2 and 4 inches, with isolated areas seeing as much as 7 inches by Tuesday evening. Authorities emphasized the risk posed by flooding, including rapidly rising waters in streams and dangerous road conditions in both cities and rural areas.

The disturbance in the Atlantic east of the Caribbean is moving west to northwestward, but forecasters expected it to weaken in the coming days.