Τropical Storm Alberto has become the first named storm of the 2024 hurricane season. It’s one of three systems in the tropics we are keeping an eye on.
Alberto formed late Wednesday morning after struggling to get a well defined center of circulation. It’s been producing tropical storm force winds over a wide area, nearly 300 miles from the center over the last day or so.
The storm is shortly lived as it makes landfall Wednesday night along the coast of Mexico. Once it makes landfall, it quickly dissipates into a remnant low over the mountainous areas of Mexico.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect over portions of northeastern Mexico and the Texas coast. Rainfall, coastal flooding and wind impacts are expected to continue Thursday. Heavy rains are a big concern with 5″ to 10″ expected and isolated areas up to 15″ from Houston down into Central Mexico along with coastal flooding.
We are also watching an area of storms several hundred miles east of the Bahamas. Conditions could allow for development over the next few days as it moves west, west-northwest and forecasted to head towards the US on Friday. There’s a low 20% chance of formation through the next 7 days. Right now this system doesn’t look to bring big impacts to the Carolinas, but could bring some coastal showers late week along with a choppy surf and a higher risk for rip currents.
