Arlene
© NOAATropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the 2011 hurricane season, is expected to affect northeast Mexico.
Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the 2011 hurricane season, has formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

At 5 a.m. Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Arlene was located about 190 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Arlene is moving west-northwest at 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast, the Weather Service predicted.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, mainly to the northeast of the center.

A turn toward the west is forecast during the next day or so, and the center of Arlene is expected to reach the Mexican coast by Thursday. The Mexican government has issued a tropical storm warning for the coast of northeastern Mexico from Barra de Nautla north to Bahia Algodones, the Weather Service said.

Arline is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, with some totals in mountain areas reaching 12 inches.

The storm surge is expected to raise water levels by 1 to 2 feet above normal.

Source: CNN