The first major tropical storm of the year fizzled out into little more than summer thunderstorms last night, dashing hopes in Texas for some substantial rain to help ease the state's extreme drought.Coastal residents evacuated low-lying islands, flights were cancelled and despairing farmers looked towards the sky in hope, but Tropical Storm Don merely drizzled the area with around an inch or two of rain.
By the time it came ashore in a sparsely populated area of ranch lands it had been downgraded to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35mph.
This morning the last remnants of the storm passed into Mexico, leaving behind a hot and sunny weekend with only a few scattered showers expected in southern Texas.
While it means there was no respite for cattle farmers, who are selling off their livestock because their pastures are barren, it was a huge relief for cotton growers, who are in the middle of this year's harvest. Read More
