Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2000 Atlantic Hurricane Season, formed Friday morning south of the Cape Verde Islands and is heading west.
Maximum sustained winds are 40 mph with the forecast calling for intensification. The storm system could be upgraded to a hurricane by Monday.
Alberto grew out of a strong tropical wave that moved off the west coast of the African continent Wednesday. The weather system was upgraded to a tropical depression by 5 a.m. Friday; within six hours Tropical Storm Alberto was born.
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center places the storm's center at 12.4 degrees north latitude and 25.0 west longitude. Alberto is moving to the west at 17 miles per hour with the motion expected to continue over the next two days.
Knight Quality Stations chief meteorologist Alan Archer said Friday afternoon, "Should Alberto maintain its forward speed and its present form, it would not be before Tuesday that the newly formed tropical storm would impact our weather conditions."
The storm system is being monitored carefully, he added. At 2 p.m. Alberto was located about 2,600 miles east of the Virgin Islands.
The latest information on Tropical Storm Alberto can be obtained by calling 774-4786. Current weather information for the Virgin Islands can be accessed by clicking on the rainbow at the top of the Source menu.
The next complete advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. Friday afternoon.
