Tropical storm Alex has been upgraded to a Hurricane this afternoon – becoming the first hurricane of the 2010 Atlantica Hurricane season with sustained winds up to 130km/h.

But it doesn’t end there – it’s also the first hurricane to form in June since 1995 says the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).

Earlier this year the NHC indicated the hurricane season could be as aggressive as the one that spawned Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita.

The latest on Hurricane Alex from the NHC…

SUMMARY OF 100 AM CDT…0600 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-

• LOCATION…23.1N 94.8W
• ABOUT 195 MI…315 KM ESE OF LA PESCA MEXICO
• ABOUT 255 MI…415 KM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
• MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…80 MPH…130 KM/HR
• PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 280 DEGREES AT 5 MPH…8 KM/HR
• MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…972 MB…28.70 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR…
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR
* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
AT 100 AM CDT…0600 UTC…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ALEX WAS LOCATED
BY SATELLITE AND THE BROWNSVILLE DOPPLER RADAR TO BE NEAR LATITUDE
23.1 NORTH…LONGITUDE 94.8 WEST. ALEX HAS BEEN MOVING ERRATICALLY
IN A GENERAL WESTWARD DIRECTION NEAR 5 MPH…8 KM/HR…AND A SLOW
WEST OR WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 TO
48 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF ALEX WILL APPROACH
THE COAST OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO OR SOUTHERN TEXAS BY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING…AND MAKE LANDFALL IN THE HURRICANE
WARNING AREA LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 80 MPH…130 KM/HR… WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ALEX IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST PRIOR TO
LANDFALL. ALEX WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN AFTER ITS CENTER CROSSES THE
COASTLINE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES…30 KM…FROM
THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175
MILES…280 KM. DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS…NOAA BUOY 42055
LOCATED ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER OF ALEX REPORTED A
ONE-MINUTE SUSTAINED WIND OF 43 MPH AND A GUST TO 58 MPH.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 972 MB…28.70 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
RAINFALL…ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN
TEXAS…WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES. THESE RAINS
COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES…
ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH ALEX
ARE SPREADING ONSHORE IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS.

WIND…TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST
WITHIN THE HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREAS LATER THIS
MORNING…MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

STORM SURGE…A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST
TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. THE SURGE COULD
PENETRATE INLAND AS FAR AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE WITH DEPTH
GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE WATER MOVES INLAND. NEAR THE COAST…
THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.

TORNADOES…ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHERN TEXAS TODAY.