Tropical Storm Nicholas could strengthen into a hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Texas

• Tropical Storm Nicholas is expected to make landfall along the middle Texas coast Monday night.
• It "could be near hurricane intensity level at landfall," the National Hurricane Center said.
• The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall and potential floods to portions of the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Nicholas could strengthen into a hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Texas later Monday, bringing with it heavy rainfall and potential floods, forecasters warned.

The storm, which was just off the Gulf Coast Monday morning, is expected to "approach the middle Texas coast as a tropical storm today, and could be near hurricane intensity level at landfall," the National Hurricane Center said.

Additionally, the agency warned that tropical storm conditions are expected along portions of the middle Texas coast by Monday afternoon, with hurricane conditions possible from the Texas areas of Port Aransas to Freeport through Monday night.

The agency also warned of tropical storm conditions along portions of the northeastern coast of Mexico.

The storm, which currently has maximum sustained winds of 60 miles-per-hour, was moving north-northwest at 5 miles-per-hour, according to the latest forecast.

Portions of the coasts of Texas and Hurricane Ida-battered Louisiana will be impacted by heavy rainfall from the storm through the middle of the week, the National Hurricane Center said.

"Significant rainfall amounts are possible, potentially resulting in areas of considerable flash and urban flooding," the agency said.