THE FIRST TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE AREA OF THIS YEAR'S HURRICANE SEASON IS EXPECTED TO GROW INTO A TROPICAL STORM THAT COULD REACH HURRICANE STRENGTH AND HIT THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA EARLY ON TUESDAY, THE HURRICANE CENTRE IN MIAMI SAID SATURDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE LOW PRESSURE AREA ABOVE THE ATLANTIC WAS GAINING IN STRENGTH ONLY TEN DAYS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW HURRICANE SEASON, THE CENTRE SAID. THE LOW, LOCATED ABOUT 80 KILOMETRES OFF THE COAST OF CUBA ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE GULF OF MEXICO AT A SPEED OF 19 KILOMETRES PER HOUR. HEAVY RAIN HAD SET IN IN THE AREA, THE CENTRE REPROTED. THE WIND SPEEDS AT THE CENTRE OF THE DEPRESSION WERE 55 KILOMETRES PER HOUR, ONLY SLIGHTLY BELOW THOSE OF A TROPICAL STORM. IN 2006, A SERIES OF HURRICANES HAD WREAKED HAVOC IN MANY AREAS OF THE US AND CENTRAL AMERICA. ABOUT 1,300 PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE KATRINA, DURING WHICH ALMOST THE ENTIRE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS IN LOUISIANA GOT FLOODED ON AUGUST 29, 2006. ABOUT EIGHT TO TEN HURRICANES ARE EXPECTED TO HIT THE ATLANTIC AREA DURING THIS YEAR'S SEASON, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS.
