Miami Herald

The year’s first named storm, Alberto, forms in the Gulf of Mexico

The first named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Alberto, has parts of the Texas and Mexican gulf coasts under Tropical Storm Warning.

Meanwhile, the disturbanc­e in the Atlantic Ocean shows little signs of forming into something more.

Here’s what you need to know, as of the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. advisory on Alberto.

TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO

Wind speed: 40 mph sustained winds. “Some slight strengthen­ing is forecast [Wednesday night] before the center of Alberto reaches land,” the hurricane center said.

“Rapid weakening is expected once the center moves inland, and Alberto is likely to dissipate over Mexico Thursday or Thursday night.”

Where is it: About 170 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, and 305 miles south-southeast of Brownsvill­e, Texas. The hurricane center describes Alberto as “large,” with tropical storm force winds extending 415 miles north of the center.

Movement: Alberto is moving west-southwest at 9 mph, but “a westward motion is expected to resume soon and continue for the next day or so. On this track, the center of Alberto is expected to reach the Gulf coast of Mexico early Thursday.”

Hazards: Alberto is forecast to dump up to 20 inches of rain “across the higher terrain of the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas” and 5 to 10 inches in Northeast Mexico and South Texas, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.

“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanie­d by large and dangerous waves,” the hurricane center forecasts.

Tornadoes are possible in Texas. Swells “are likely to cause life-threatenin­g surf and rip current conditions.”

THE ATLANTIC DISTURBANC­E

“An area of showers and thundersto­rms located several hundred miles east of the Bahamas is associated with a surface trough of low pressure,” the hurricane center’s 5 p.m. Wednesday update said. “Environmen­tal conditions are marginally conducive for some gradual developmen­t of this system during the next few days while it moves westward or west-northwestw­ard.

“The system is forecast to approach the coast of the southeaste­rn United States by Friday.”