Andrea, the first Atlantic storm of the year, set off the alarms

The first named storm of the Atlantic storm season, formed yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico and rains were forecast for the end of the week on the west coast of Florida.

Andrea, as she was named, began with maximum sustained winds of 64 kilometers per hour and already yesterday afternoon was 498 miles southwest of Tampa.

Meteorologists said Andrea’s center part will reach Florida’s coast later today.

A forecast sketch indicates that the storm will move along the U.S. Atlantic coast during the weekend before returning to the sea, although it is usually difficult to forecast several days in advance.

The storm has already caused heavy rains in Cuba, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people from flooded areas.

Image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing the first tropical storm of the Atlantic season, which has been called Andrea and is currently affecting the Gulf of Mexico.