Subtropical Storm Alberto Expected to Intensify, Heavy Rain, Isolated Tornadoes Possible in East Central Florida

By Space Coast Daily // May 26, 2018

Flood Watch Issued for Brevard through Monday

ABOVE VIDEO: Tropical Tidbits provides the latest on Subtropical Storm Alberto.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA– The National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued their 11:00 a.m. advisory on Subtropical Storm Alberto.

The center of Subtropical Storm Alberto was located about 20 miles south of the western tip of Cuba and 525 miles southeast of Orlando.

The storm is moving toward the north near 10 mph with a northward or north-northeastward motion expected today, followed by a turn to the northwest on Sunday.

On the forecast track, the center of Alberto is expected to move near the western tip of Cuba this afternoon.

Alberto is then forecast to track across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight through Monday, and approach the northern Gulf Coast in the watch area Monday night. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts.

Gradual strengthening is forecast until the system reaches the northern Gulf Coast by Monday night.

Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio as well as the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys.

The Tropical Storm Watch along the coast of the Florida panhandle has been extended eastward to the Aucilla River. Heavy rainfall is expected to affect western Cuba, much of the Florida peninsula and the northeastern gulf coast through the weekend.

BREVARD IMPACTS

The National Weather service here in Melbourne has issued a Flood Watch for Brevard County through 8:00 p.m. Monday.

Moving northward through the Gulf of Mexico, Alberto will pull deep tropical moisture over east central Florida. The potential for heavy rainfall and isolated tornadoes are possible along the Space Coast.

Widespread rainfall amounts of three to five inches with total rainfall amounts of up to six inches in localized areas are also possible by Monday.

This will cause a concern for flooding across east central Florida.

The ground is saturated in areas and according to Weather Underground, Melbourne International Airport has received 5.60 inches of rainfall so far this month.

This marks the fourth straight year a tropical or subtropical system has been named prior to the start of the official June 1 hurricane season date.

Last year, Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the central Atlantic and was named on April 20. After reaching top winds of 45 mph and spending 30 hours as a tropical storm, Arlene died. Arlene did not affect any land areas.

In 2016, Hurricane Alex became a tropical storm in the waters south of the Azores. After peaking as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds, Alex hit the Azores as a tropical storm with 65 mph winds on January 15. Alex caused minimal damage and no deaths.

And back in 2015, Tropical Storm Ana formed off the coast of South Carolina, and made landfall there on May 10 with 45 mph winds. Ana was the earliest landfalling U.S. tropical cyclone on record and caused one drowning death and minimal property damage.

Stay tuned to Space Coast Daily for updates on Subtropical Storm Alberto and information regarding the rest of the 2018 hurricane season.

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