Tropical Storm Alberto forms over the Gulf of Mexico and causes flooding

Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the current Atlantic hurricane season, has formed over the western Gulf of Mexico, causing flooding around the southern US coast, the US National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.

The storm was about 300 kilometers east of Tampico, Mexico, and had maximum wind speeds of 65 kilometers per hour, according to the Miami-based service. The storm is expected to dissipate over Mexico later Thursday evening.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm was very large and that rain, coastal flooding and strong winds could occur far from its center across northeastern Mexico and the southern Texas coast.

The National Hurricane Center warned that the heavy rains may also have an impact on large areas in Central America, a region that is still witnessing heavy rains that left about 11 people dead in El Salvador over the weekend due to landslides and road accidents.

“Life-threatening floods and landslides are likely on and near high lands in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas,” including the city of Ciudad Victoria in the east of the country, and Monterrey, the country’s third-largest city, the center said. A city in Mexico in the state of Nuevo Leon.

Nuevo Leon state governor Samuel Garcia said on Channel X that people need to avoid leaving their homes or crossing waterways in case of rain, and keep emergency equipment on hand. He added that workers are prepared to deal with potential impacts on the electricity, water and sewage network due to strong winds and rain.