Tropical Storm Alex is now Hurricane Alex

Alex has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and is churning through the western Gulf of Mexico, taking aim at the Mexico-Texas border while staying far away from the massive oil spill.

Alex had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph late Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center says the Category 1 storm is the first June Atlantic hurricane since 1995.

Forecasters says landfall seems likely Wednesday night.

Hurricane-force winds extended up to 15 miles  from the storm's center. Tropical storm-force winds extend 175 miles.

A hurricane warning was posted for the Texas coast from Baffin Bay, south to the mouth of the Rio Grande river and south to La Cruz, Mexico.

-- Associated Press