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19th June 2024 By The Global Heroes Environment and Disasters

Tropical Storm Alberto Forms in Gulf of Mexico, Prompting Coastal Alerts

Tropical Storm Alberto, the first of the Atlantic hurricane season, has emerged over the Gulf of Mexico, as confirmed by the National Hurricane Center. The storm, named Alberto, is expected to bring significant impacts including heavy rains, coastal flooding, and strong winds to the Texas and northeastern Mexico coasts through Thursday.

According to forecasters, Alberto is set to reach the Mexican coast late Wednesday or early Thursday, currently moving at approximately 8 miles per hour towards the region. The National Weather Service has already reported early rains in Texas, with potential impacts expected along the I-35 highway later in the day.

By 10 a.m. local time, the National Weather Service officially classified the system as a named tropical storm. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the Texas coast from the San Luis Pass south to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and for the northeastern coast of Mexico from the Rio Grande mouth to Puerto de Altamira.

Meteorologists anticipate rainfall amounts ranging from 5 to 10 inches across northeast Mexico into southern Texas, with localized maximum totals of up to 15 inches. This precipitation is likely to result in considerable flash flooding in urban areas and could lead to new and renewed river flooding. Additionally, mudslides are a concern in higher terrain across northeast Mexico. Parts of the Texas coast may experience storm surges as high as four feet.

The heaviest rain is forecasted for south Corpus Christi, with predicted accumulations between 6 to 10 inches. Storm surge impacts are also anticipated in Galveston and Surfside Beach, where significant flooding is already occurring.

Although overall rain totals have slightly decreased, the National Weather Service warns that most areas could still see between 1 to 3 inches of rain, with localized flooding exceeding 4 inches possible. A flood watch remains in effect until Thursday.

The disturbance was noted to be quite expansive early Wednesday, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 415 miles north of the system's center. As of 4 a.m. CDT, the storm's center was positioned approximately 315 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas, moving west-northwest at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded the initial tropical storm watch to a tropical storm warning at 4 a.m. CT on Tuesday. Subsequently, the government of Mexico also issued a tropical storm warning for parts of its northeastern coast, replacing the previous watch, as conditions became more imminent.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and extends through November, with peak activity typically occurring between mid-August and mid-October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, both "hurricane" and "tropical cyclone" terminologies refer to the same type of storm, with the latter being a broader classification encompassing any weather phenomenon where rotating, low-level cloud systems and thunderstorms develop over tropical or subtropical waters.

A tropical cyclone is specifically categorized as a tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds exceed 39 mph, and it escalates to hurricane status when sustained winds reach 74 mph or higher.

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