Potential first tropical cyclone of the year developing in the Gulf

Forecasters are monitoring the potential first tropical cyclone of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, saying it could develop into a fully formed storm by Wednesday, they said. The National Hurricane Center issued a preliminary weather advisory for the system, currently a tropical disturbance called Potential Tropical Cyclone One, on Tuesday morning. It came as record rainfall and life-threatening flash floods continued to drench parts of the South, where communities braced for up to 7 or 8 inches of additional rain throughout the rest of the week. Potential Tropical Cyclone One was located in the western Gulf early Tuesday, between Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling northeastward with winds of 30 mph, below the 39-mph threshold necessary to designate it a tropical storm. Nikki Nolan/CBS News The potential tropical cyclone also lacked a well-defined center as of the most recent update, although forecasters said the system will likely intensify and have tropical storm-force winds on Wednesday. Whether that happens or not, the National Hurricane Center emphasized the system could bring serious hazards to coastal sections of northeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, as well as parts of Alabama and Mississippi. Far-western portions of the Florida Panhandle could be affected, too. …