A tropical depression over Cuba is intensifying and is forecasted to bring significant rainfall and coastal flooding to much of Florida's Gulf Coast. The storm, which strengthened into a tropical depression late Friday, is anticipated to become a tropical storm by Saturday night, with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph (63 kph) or more. If it reaches tropical storm status, it will be named Debby, marking the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The circulation of the storm is currently located just south of Cienfuegos, Cuba, with associated wind and thunderstorms affecting southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center in Miami predicts that the depression will intensify as it moves northward off the southwest coast of Florida, where warm water temperatures have provided favorable conditions for development.
