Hurricane Delta 2020 Path, Tracker as Dangerous Storm Surge Risk for Florida and Louisiana

Hurricane Delta will hit the coasts of Louisiana and Florida by the end of the week, bringing heavy rainfall and storm surges which can lead to flash flooding and mudslides.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Delta—which is forecast to become a "major hurricane" within the next 24 hours—will make landfall on the southcentral coast of the U.S. by Thursday evening, as shown in the graphic provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) below.

Rainfall hazards are also being preempted by NOAA for the coast from Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle from Thursday night through Friday. NOAA warns residents in these areas to have their hurricane plan in place and monitor for updates to the forecast for Hurricane Delta.

Prior to hitting the U.S., the hurricane is forecast to move northwest, hitting the boot of Mexico and western Cuba throughout the early hours of this morning and continue to move towards Texas by Thursday. The hurricane will make landfall at Cancun, Mexico, and western Cuba approximately 8:00 p.m. EDT today.

"Delta is expected to move to the northwest at a fairly quick pace on Tuesday and Wednesday as it moves in the flow between a subtropical high over the western Atlantic and Post-Tropical Cyclone Gamma over or near the Yucatan Peninsula," says NOAA. "This motion should take Delta over or very near the northeastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula by Tuesday night and over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday."

By the time the hurricane hits the south-central U.S., it is expected to slowly erode as "a trough moves eastward" across the area. "This change in the steering pattern should cause Delta to slow down and then turn northward toward the northern Gulf coast," says NOAA. "It will likely make landfall there in a little more than four days."

While the hurricane is expected to die down, NOAA forecasts that it will become a major hurricane as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula. The 36-hour forecast for the hurricane suggests that winds could reach 120 miles per hour inland.

The administration also says that if Delta makes landfall on that landmass, it would likely "temper the cyclone's strength for a period of time."

The weather forecast based on the hurricane path tracker says that heavy rainfall will affect portions of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, western Cuba and the northern Yucatan Peninsula over the next few days. This could also lead to significant flash flooding and mudslides.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Cayman Islands.

Overnight Delta was updated to a hurricane by Hurricane Hunters from NOAA. The discussion published by NOAA says that Delta strengthened by 40 knots within 24 hours but is "quite compact with a developing tight inner core" with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 60 miles north from the center.

For the latest updates on Hurricane Delta, visit the National Hurricane Center's website.

For advice on how to prepare for a hurricane, visit the National Weather Service's dedicated web page.