Fay makes landfall, TD7 forms in central Atlantic, two other areas are suspect.

TS Fay finally hit TX, after drifting and meandering off the coast for a
while.  It was thought that she might reach hurricane strength before
making landfall, but convection was pretty scarce at critical times. 
She hit near Palacios, TX this morning at 12Z as a 45kt storm, with the
most significant effect being the rain.  Some places along the coast
received over a foot of rain on Friday night.  This scenario is similar
to Allison last year, but much more benign... recall that Allison did
nearly $5 billion in damage and killed 41 people, yet was never more
than a weak Tropical Storm.  Fay is now a Depression, and the 15Z
advisory places her at 29.2N 97.3W and moving WNW at 6kts.  Maximum
winds are 30kts with a MSLP of 1002mb.  The forecast is obviously for
continued weakening.

At 15Z today, TD7 formed from the small vortex in the open Atlantic.  It
seemed that all it was lacking was convection, and once it acquired that
and kept it, it was able to strengthen a bit... both buoys and satellite
estimates provided evidence that it should be a TD.  At 21Z it was
located at 24.7N 48.6W and tracking WNW at 8kts.  Intesity is 30kts and
1015mb (VERY weak).  It's in 15kts of westerly shear and over 27.5°C
SST.  NHC's forecast out to three days is to maintain intensity.

The broad area of disturbed weather over the West Indes that I mentioned
yesterday is still very interesting, but in no rush to organize. It's in
a favorable area though, and will be watched.  It could become TD8 by
the end of the weekend.

Also, the tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands is not looking as
robust as in days past, but should not be overlooked either.

Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.

Edouard dissipates, Fay is born, Cape Verde area shaping up.

At 15Z today, the final advisory was issued on TD Edouard.  The remnants
are  being absorbed into TS Fay.

At 21Z yesterday, aircraft recon found a closed circulation in the area
of disturbed weather in the northwest Gulf of Mexico and TD6 was born. 
Six hours later, it was upgraded to TS Fay, the 6th named storm of the
season, based on both aircraft observations and satellite estimates. 
The convective pattern has been improving consistently, with the deepest
convection near the ill-defined low-level circulation.  At 15Z today,
Fay was located at 27.9N 95.0W and drifting west at 2kts.  Maximum
sustained winds have reached 50kts with MSLP of 1001mb.  The bulk of the
convection is to the east and north of the center, but the center is not
easily found, so it could shift to match the convection.

Conditions are favorable for further strengthening, and she'd be a fine
candidate for the season's first hurricane if she weren't so close to
land.  Even so, if "rapid" intensification occurs, she could reach
hurricane strength before landfall, which is expected to be early
Saturday morning near Palacios, TX.  A Tropical Storm Warning is in
effect for the western half of LA's coast  through much of TX's coast
and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for parts of the central TX coast...
see http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT06/AL0602W.GIF for NHC's
graphic.

There is a broad area of convection over the West Indes that many of the
models develop over the next 3 days or so.  If something should form
from this, the general track is northward toward the NC coast, then NE
as it's whisked away by a trough.

The nearly convectionless vortex near 22N 45W is still holding together,
but has shown no signs of development.  It has a 1015mb Low associated
with it, and is moving west at 10kts.

The large tropical wave exiting Africa that I mentioned yesterday is
still very impressive.  It's centered at about 9N 14W and has a 1010mb
Low, moving west at 10kts.  It's got a lot of relative vorticity (strong
low-level circulation) and an anticyclone aloft to assist the outflow. 
Vertical shear will remain low if it maintains its westerly course, but
there is a deep trough to its north, so any northward deviation in track
could result in it being sheared apart.

Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.

TD6 forms...

The area of convection in the northwest Gulf of Mexico has been upgraded
to TD6, based on an aircraft recon flight into it this afternoon.  The
Lake
Charles radar also shows a tight circulation in the precip pattern, with
banding features becoming apparent.

LAKE CHARLES RADAR (I suggest the loop option):
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/latest/DS.p19r0/si.klch.shtml

Proximity to land is the main reason for sending this out now instead of
waiting until Friday morning.

Please visit my tropical Atlantic headquarters.