There is a 90 percent chance that a tropical storm will develop in the Gulf of Mexico in the next day or two, threatening oil and natural gas facilities and other energy infrastructure as it advances toward Texas and Louisiana. The weather system is expected to hit the U.S. coast as a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (72.4 kilometers per hour) early on Thursday, according to the latest forecast by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Currently located about 300 miles (485 km) south of Morgan City, Louisiana, it is expected to be near the Louisiana coast late on Wednesday, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.