NU Online News Service, June 29, 11:47 a.m. EDT
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has formed, as Tropical Storm Arlene moves west-northwest in the Gulf of Mexico at around eight miles per hour.
The storm is expected to turn further west today and strike the coast of Mexico early Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Barra de Nautla northward to Bahia Algodones.
Arlene has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, and some strengthening is forecast between now and the storm's expected landfall on Thursday.
Weather Services International, a member of the Weather Channel Cos., says it expects 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes and four intense hurricanes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says conditions in the Atlantic are ripe for 12 to 18 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to six intense hurricanes. And the well-known team at Colorado State University calls for 16 named storms, nine hurricanes and five intense hurricanes.
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