A slow-moving storm is forming into a likely hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, and is forecast to hit the already-flooded US city of New Orleans.

The storm, which is currently classified as a tropical storm, has already brought thunderstorms to the city, triggering flash floods.

A state of emergency is in effect and residents in some low-lying areas have been asked to evacuate.

The river may come dangerously close to overtopping levees shielding the city.

The Mississippi River may rise as high as 20ft (6m) above sea level, officials warn, potentially exceeding the 20-25ft levees protecting New Orleans.

“We’re confident the levees themselves are in good shape. The big focus is height,” Ricky Boyett, a spokesman for the US Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the fortifications, told the AP.

Flash flooding

On Wednesday morning, the New Orleans metro area was hit by as much as eight inches of rain over a three hour period.

Swamped streets saw rubbish bins overturned and vehicles flooded. Some parts of the city saw streets turn into lakes as deep as four feet. Kayakers were seen paddling on roadways.

The National Hurricane Center said on Thursday morning that the storm was 95 miles south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained windspeeds of 40mph (64 km/hr).

The tropical storm has been given the name Barry by US weather forecasters.

At winds of 74mph it will be declared a hurricane, as it is forecast to become before making landfall in the delta of the Mississippi River on Friday.

The storm is predicted to drop 10-15 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday along the Louisiana coast and parts of Texas.

Update: Here are the 10 AM CDT Key Messages on Tropical Storm #Barry, expected to bring dangerous storm surge, wind and rainfall impacts to portions of the Gulf Coast. See https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB and https://t.co/SiZo8ohZMN for more information. pic.twitter.com/njn6ty8FLV

End of Twitter post by @NHC_Atlantic

Residents have been warned to stock up on drinking water and non-perishable food, as well as other emergency supplies.

Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, has ordered residents to evacuate. Vermilion Parish, to the west of the city, has asked some people living in low-lying areas to consider moving to higher ground.

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