Tropical Storm Fernand forms off the east coast of Mexico August 26, 2013 -- Updated 0243 GMT (1043 HKT) A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Gulf Coast from Veracruz north to Tampico. The center of the storm should cross the coast early Monday A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast from Veracruz to Tampico Fernand could dump as much as a foot of rain in some places (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fernand is expected to make landfall early Monday, just hours after it formed over the western Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico. As of Sunday evening, the storm was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Veracruz and 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of Tuxpan, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. Fernand had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was heading west at 9 mph. The storm may strengthen before moving inland, which will happen sometime early Monday morning, the hurricane center said. Fernand is expected to dump between 4-8 inches of rain over the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, northern Puebla, southern Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, and as much as a foot of rain in some places. "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center said.