Belize ? A weak tropical storm formed Saturday off the Yucatan Peninsula and quickly made landfall at the Belize-Mexico border, dumping rain and kicking up surf.

The first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Arthur was moving west across the Yucatan with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph (65 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm formed one day before the official start of the season today, hitting land near the Mexican port city of Chetumal and Belize’s Corozal city. It dumped rain as far south as Belize City and kicked up strong surf on the popular tourist island of Ambergis Caye.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Belize and Mexico’s Caribbean coastline.

The hurricane center said Arthur could dump five to 10 inches of rain over portions of Belize and Guatemala, and up to 15 inches in southeastern Mexico. It warned the rains could cause life-threatening floods and mudslides.