Houston residents should brace for a mixed bag of weather conditions over the next several days, with potential weather hazards as Tropical Cyclone Francine approaches the Gulf Coast. The National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today, mainly after 10 am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 84 degrees. Winds from the north could see gusts as high as 25 mph. Tonight's weather is expected to calm down significantly, with only a 10 percent chance of showers before 7 pm and a partly cloudy night with lows around 72 degrees.

Looking forward to Thursday, Houston should see mostly sunny skies with a high near 89, while the night will be mostly clear with a low around 72. This pattern of sunny days and partly cloudy nights, with highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid-70s, is expected to continue through the weekend. However, a slight chance of showers returns Sunday afternoon, and lingers into early next week, each day bringing a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms after 1 pm.

Meanwhile, according to a forecast discussion by the NWS Storm Prediction Center, when Hurricane Francine makes landfall this afternoon on the central Louisiana coast, conditions could deteriorate rapidly. A few tornadoes are possible across the central Gulf Coast vicinity on Wednesday into Wednesday night, in association with Tropical Cyclone Francine, the report states. Easterly to northeasterly winds are expected to keep the tropical airmass mostly offshore, but as Francine moves inland, enhanced low-level moisture will increase the tornado potential in the area from 21Z through 04Z.

For the central Gulf Coast region, robust wind fields associated with the cyclone could foster isolated low-topped supercells capable of rotation. The highest tornado risk, according to the NWS, will span from southeast Louisiana across southern Mississippi and Alabama to the far western Florida Panhandle. Surface winds which are likely to persist through the evening, could also support the development of tornados through early Thursday morning.