Tropical Storm Harold has made landfall on Padre Island, Texas, and will bring heavy rains and tropical storm force winds over the next several hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Tuesday.

The storm, located about 35 miles (55 km) north of Port Mansfield, Texas, packing sustained winds near 50 miles (85 km) per hour, is expected to weaken into a tropical depression later on Tuesday, the NHC added.

Harold is moving toward the west-northwest at near 21 miles per hour, heading inland over southern Texas and northern Mexico, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

(Reporting by Arpan Varghese and Sherin Elizabeth Varghese in Bengaluru)