Tropical Storm Beryl on the verge of hurricane strength as it nears Texas | Tracking the Tropics

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to regain its strength as a hurricane Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to reach hurricane strength on Sunday night before making landfall in Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center, prompting officials to warn of potentially "deadly" conditions.

As of 8 p.m., Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was located about 120 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

It is moving north-northwest at 12 mph as it slowly strengthens.

"Tropical Storm Beryl is still being impacted with strong wind shear as most of the showers and storms are to the north and northwest of the system as it moves northwestward around 12 mph," Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Eric Stone said. "Beryl is expected to become a category 1 hurricane before making landfall around a small town of Port Lavaca, Texas sometime Monday morning. Rain and wind will move through eastern Texas."

Regardless of whether it impacts Texas as a tropical storm or a hurricane, Beryl is forecast to bring dangerous storm surge, flash flooding and strong winds. The storm is expected to dump 5 to 10 inches of rain across the Texas coast and the eastern part of the state.

In a news conference in Austin on Sunday, Texas officials urged residents to heed evacuation orders and to expect power outages as Beryl moves through the region. Over 100 counties are now included in the state's declared disaster area.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, acting in place of Gov. Greg Abbot, warned that as Beryl strengthens into a hurricane, it will be a "deadly storm” for those in its direct path. The National Hurricane Center forecast "life-threatening" storm surge in its Sunday evening update.

The following areas are expected to see storm surge levels of varying heights:

• Mesquite Bay, Texas to San Luis Pass, Texas — 4-6 feet
• Matagorda Bay — 4-6 feet
• San Luis Pass, Texas to High Island, Texas — 3-5 feet
• N Entrance Padre Island NS, Texas to Mesquite Bay, Texas — 3-5 feet
• Galveston Bay — 3-5 feet

Additional areas have been placed under hurricane warnings and watches.

The following areas are under a hurricane warning:

• The Texas coast from Baffin Bay northward to San Luis Pass

The following areas are under a hurricane watch:

• The Texas coast north of San Luis Pass to Port Bolivar

The following areas are under a tropical storm warning:

• The Texas coast south of Port Aransas to Port Mansfield
• The Texas coast north of San Luis Pass to Sabine Pass

The following areas are under a storm surge warning:

• Port Aransas to Sabine Pass, including Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay