NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm Lee has strengthened as it begins dumping rain in southern Louisiana and pelting the northern Gulf coast.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say that Lee’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 60 mph Saturday morning.

It could bring a foot of rain to the region.

The storm’s center is about 45 miles southwest of New Iberia and was moving north-northwest at 7 mph.

The storm is expected to make landfall on the central Louisiana coast late Saturday and turn east toward New Orleans.

It could provide the biggest test of rebuilt levees since Hurricane Gustav struck on Labor Day 2008.