Hurricane center begins advisories on what could be season’s 1st tropical storm

Key Points:

• The National Hurricane Center has begun advisories for Potential Tropical Cyclone One, located southwest of Corpus Christi, Texas, with sustained winds of 30 mph and a 60% chance of developing into the season's first tropical storm or depression.
• A tropical storm watch is in effect from Sargent, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, with the system expected to move offshore Tuesday night or early Wednesday, potentially becoming Tropical Storm Arthur before moving inland by Thursday.
• The storm could bring 4-12 inches of rain across parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, posing a risk of life-threatening flash flooding, tornadoes, storm surge of 2-4 feet, and dangerous surf and rip currents along the northwestern Gulf Coast.
• This is the first potential tropical system in the Atlantic basin since the hurricane season began June 1, while the eastern Pacific has already seen three tropical storms; NOAA forecasts a below-normal Atlantic season with 8-14 named storms and 3-6 hurricanes expected.