Harvey strengthens into a hurricane which will menace the Texas coast

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A handout photo made available by Nasa on August 24, 2017 shows a satellite image of Hurricane Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico. Harvey is expected to become a category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas late on Friday, August 25. Photo: Nasa handout via EPA

Published: 5:15am, 25 Aug 2017Updated: 12:32pm, 30 Aug 2017

Tropical Storm Harvey intensified on Thursday into a hurricane that forecasters said would be the first major hurricane to hit the middle Texas coastline in nearly 15 years.

Sustained winds reached 80mph (129kph) more than a day before landfall was expected late on Friday between Port O’Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile (48-kilometre) stretch of coastline about 70 miles (110 kilometres) northeast of Corpus Christi.

Forecasters said a “life-threatening” storm surge along with rains and wind were likely as Harvey was intensifying faster than previously forecast. A major hurricane means winds greater than 110mph (177kph).

As of midday on Thursday, Harvey was about 340 miles (550 kilometres) southeast of Corpus Christi, moving to the north-northwest at about 10mph (17kph).

Motorists in Houston pass a sign warning of Hurricane Harvey as the storm intensifies in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: AP

Once Harvey makes landfall, it’s possible the storm then could just stall inland for as many as three days, exacerbating the threat of flooding brought by tropical downpours, the National Hurricane Centre said. Some forecasts indicated rain totals over several days extending into next week could exceed 24 inches (60 centimetres).