Alberto expected to make landfall Monday

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Subtropical Storm Alberto is moving closer to the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing with it heavy rain and the threat of flooding.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday, in an advisory released at about 2 p.m. EDT, that the storm was centered around 30 miles (50 kilometers) south-southwest of Panama City, Florida. With maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kilometers), Alberto was moving north at 8 mph (13 kph).

A tropical storm warning is in effect for a stretch of coastline between Florida’s Suwannee River and the Alabama-Florida border.

The storm was expected to weaken after it makes landfall later Monday. But forecasters said it will dump heavy rain on the Florida Panhandle, raising the risk of flash flooding and storm surges.