Alberto first named storm of the 2006 hurricane season

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for Gulf Coast residents of Florida, as Tropical Storm Alberto moves toward the northeast gulf of the Mexican Coast.Alberto is the first named storm of what is anticipated to be an active 2006 hurricane season.”A hurricane warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Longboat Key to the Ochlockonee River,” the Centre announced in a public advisory. “Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mp-h (110 km-h), with higher gusts. Alberto has the potential to become a hurricane before making landfall.”The Center’s advisory warns that Alberto may spawn tornadoes over central Florida on June 20 and 21. The projected path of Alberto would take the tropical storm along central and northern Florida and southeastern Georgia by June 20.”Coastal storm surge flooding of eight to 10 feet above normal tide levels can be expected over a large portion of the warning area,” the Hurricane Centre warned.Weather forecasters have predicted an active 2006 hurricane season, which began on June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Colorado State University predicted 17 named storms and a total of nine hurricanes this year; five of the hurricanes would have sustained winds of 111 mph or greater (i.e. Category 3, 4 or 5 storms), the center predicted.