Mexican authorities are issuing warnings along the country's northeastern coast for Tropical Storm Arlene — the season's first powerful storm over the Atlantic Ocean.

The National Hurricane Center said Arlene had formed Tuesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and was expected to reach the Mexican coast by Thursday.

The Miami-based center said the storm was blowing sustained winds of up to 65 kilometers per hour, and it predicted Arlene would strengthen further during the next day or so.

Forecasters warned the storm could drench the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz with up to 20 centimeters of rain, potentially causing “life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.”