Alex may bring up to 20 inches of rain; expected to become hurricane later today

The National Hurricane Center says as of 4 p.m. the center of Tropical Storm Alex was located near latitude 23.2 north, longitude 94.0 west.

Forecasters are warning the storm could bring as much as 20 inches of rain to the region.

Alex is moving toward the northwest near 13 miles an hour. It is expected to slow down as it takes a gradual turn toward the west-northwest on Wednesday.

If the storm follows the forecast track, the center of Alex will approach the coast of the Rio Grande Valley and northeastern Mexico late Wednesday or Wednesday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 miles an hour with higher gusts, so it is just a few miles short of being declared a hurricane.

Satellite images indicates that Alex is becoming better organized and is expected to become a hurricane sometime tonight and continue to strengthen until it makes landfall.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from the center of Alex.

Alex is expected to produce 6 to 12 inches of rain in the Valley, with some areas receiving up to 20 inches.