Alberto fizzles out after Florida

Alberto brought flooding to parts of Florida, but no reported fatalities

The first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has weakened to a tropical depression after drenching parts of Florida.

US weather forecasters dropped all tropical storm warnings for Alberto as its wind speeds fell to about 35mph (56 km/h) over South Carolina.

Earlier Florida authorities ordered the evacuation of some 20,000 people, amid fears it could blow into a hurricane.

The storm brought street flooding to part of the state's Gulf Coast.

But there were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries.

Forecasters warn the storm is just the first of what is predicted to be a busy hurricane season in the US.

'Summer squall'

Alberto came ashore near Adams Beach, south-east of the state capital Tallahassee, at about 1230 (1630 GMT) on Tuesday.

The storm scattered branches and flooded streets, but no major damage was immediately reported.

"This is not much worse, if any worse, than a summer squall," one resident said.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush had issued mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying areas and declared a state of emergency.

Last year's record-breaking hurricane season saw the region lashed by 28 storms, 15 of which went on to become hurricanes.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that activity this season will also be above normal, though it is not expected to reach last year's devastating heights.

Cuba

Alberto formed off Cuba on Sunday.

The storm dropped as much as 20 inches (50cm) of rain on the island.

Although some Cubans were evacuated and some dilapidated buildings collapsed in the storm, there were no reports of other major damage or injuries.

The US hurricane season started on 1 June and lasts until 30 November.

The NOAA has predicted between 13 and 16 named storms this season, of which four are predicted to be "major storms" of category three or above.