TAMPA, Fla. - The first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season strengthened slightly in the Gulf of Mexico early today, prompting tropical storm warnings for the dry Florida coast.

Tropical Storm Alberto had maximum sustained wind near 50 mph, well below hurricane strength of 74 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

At 8 a.m., the storm was centered 240 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola and was moving north-northeast at about 8 mph, forecasters said.

Alberto's core wasn't expected to reach Florida until Tuesday, but with tropical storm-force wind stretching 230 miles from the center, powerful gusts may be felt long before it makes landfall. The storm's outer bands brought rain on the state Sunday, and forecasters warned that tornadoes were possible in west-central and northwestern Florida tonight.

“Right before landfall they expect a little stronger: 55 (mph) gusts to 65 (mph),” said Ron Goodman, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center. “Things can change, but right now it's not expected to be a hurricane.”

Heavy rain from Alberto drenched Havana, Cuba, and Pinar del Rio province to the west throughout the weekend, causing some minor street flooding but no immediate reports major damage.

In Florida, 4 to 10 inches of rain could fall on the peninsula through Tuesday, forecasters said.

A tropical storm warning was issued for most of Florida's gulf coast, from Englewood to Indian Pass, meaning tropical storm conditions - sustained wind 39 mph or greater - were expected there within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm watch was in effect from south of Englewood to Bonita Beach.

Patricia Haberland, whose back porch was flooded by 12 inches of rain in March, was keeping an eye on the forecasts but wasn't too worried. She put a few valuables in plastic bins this weekend just to be on the safe side.

“Other than that, we're carrying on as usual, going to work, going to church,” said Haberland, 52.

The prospect of a wet storm without hurricane-force wind was welcomed by firefighters who have been battling wildfires for six weeks on Florida's Atlantic coast.

“A good soaking rain would do a lot to help stop the fires in our area,” said Pat Kuehn, a spokeswoman for Volusia County Fire Services. “It has been a hard fire season. We've had several fires a week here.”

The tropical depression that produced Alberto formed Saturday, nine days after the official start of the hurricane season, in the northwest Caribbean, which can produce typically weak storms that follow a similar track this time of year, forecasters said.

“They can also meander in the gulf for awhile, and we've seen some dissipate before reaching any land areas,” said hurricane specialist Richard Pasch.

Scientists say the 2006 season could produce as many as 16 named storms, six of them major hurricanes.

Last year's hurricane season was the most destructive on record. Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and Mississippi and was blamed for more than 1,570 deaths among Louisiana residents alone.

It also was the busiest in 154 years of storm tracking, with a records 28 named storms and a record 15 hurricanes. Meteorologists used up their list of 21 proper names - beginning with Arlene and ending with Wilma - and had to use the Greek alphabet to name storms for the first time.

The first named storm of 2005 was Tropical Storm Arlene, which formed June 9 and made landfall just west of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

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On the Net:

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov