Tropical Storm Alberto has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is officially the first named storm of the season.

A Tropical Storm Warning extends from South Texas to NE Mexico as Alberto approaches the coast of Mexico. Heavy rain, coastal flooding and tropical-storm-force winds will occur Wednesday and Thursday.

Tropical Storm Warning runs from Freeport to South Padre Island in Texas, and from Mexico’s Rio Grande to Tecolutla.

Flood alerts are also issued for a large part of coastal Texas, from Galveston to Brownsville and inland.

Alberto is spinning in the western Gulf, close to 300 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The storm is moving west at about 9 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph.

The storm is expected to travel west, directly toward the coast of Mexico, near Tampico. Landfall is expected late Wednesday into early Thursday morning.

Once Alberto makes landfall, a quick weakening is expected as the storm moves over mainland Mexico. By Thursday night, the storm should mostly dissipate.