NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunters Find Cristobal Stronger.

RALEIGH, MS - We are continuing our daily updates of Tropical Storm Cristobal as it moves north towards the Gulf Coast.

As of 10:00PM,  the center of Tropical Storm Cristobal was located near latitude 22.7N, longitude 90.1W. Cristobal is moving toward the north near 14 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Cristobal will move over the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, and be near the northern Gulf of Mexico coast on Sunday. Cristobal's center is then forecast to move inland across Louisiana late Sunday and Monday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast until landfall occurs on the northern Gulf coast. Weakening will begin once Cristobal moves inland late Sunday and Monday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 240 miles (390 km) from the center.

Some changes for this update include the issuance of a Tropical Storm Warning for the Mississippi coast and a Storm Surge Warning. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for all areas from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for all areas east of Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County, Florida line.