Tropical Storm Alex is now Hurricane Alex

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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