A hurricane warning is now in effect for the coast of Louisiana from Intracoastal City to Grand Isle as Tropical Storm Barry continues to swirl in the Gulf of Mexico.
With the Thursday 4pm advisory, the National Hurricane Center has also issued a tropical storm warning from Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, including the metropolitan New Orleans area and a tropical storm warning from the Louisiana coast west of Intracoastal City to Cameron.
The tropical storm warning has also extended to include the city of Baton Rouge.
A storm surge watch is also in effect for Lake Pontchartrain.
"Strengthening is expected during the next day or two, and Barry could become a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday when the center is near the Louisiana coast. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland," said the National Hurricane Center.
Heavy rains are still the main threat from Barry. "Barry is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches over southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches. Over the remainder of the Lower Mississippi Valley, total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches," the advisory warned.
Barry could still reach hurricane strength briefly before making landfall sometime on Saturday.