A relatively fast-moving weather pattern that may become the first named storm of the season is tracking northeastward near the Texas Gulf Coast and is forecast to bring heavy rains to South Alabama at the end of the week.

The center of Potential Tropical Cyclone One is forecast to track just off the Texas coast today before making landfall over southwestern Louisiana this evening with tropical storm-force winds expected near the coast, where a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect, according to the National Weather Service.

The heaviest rain is forecast to fall ahead of the track as it dissipates over central Mississippi by Thursday morning. Generally, NWS predicts 5-10 inches of rain with isolated higher totals near 20 inches near and just north of the track. Though the center is forecast to dissipate by Thursday morning, the remnants are expected to continue tracking farther eastward through the Southeast from Thursday to Friday morning.

All of Baldwin County is in a Flood Watch as of Wednesday morning, and the coast is in a High Surf Advisory. There is a high rip current risk along the coast through Saturday.