Tropical Storm Debby heads toward Florida with hurricane warnings in effect

A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby north of Cuba on Saturday and was predicted to become a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with the Florida coast.

The National Hurricane Centre said in an update posted at 11 pm on Saturday that Debby was located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west-southwest of Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida and about 260 miles (415 kilometers) south-southwest of Tampa. The storm was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph).

Wind and thunderstorms have spread over a broad area including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. A hurricane warning was in effect for sections of the state's coast with tropical storm warnings for the Florida Keys.

Debby is likely to bring drenching rain and coastal flooding to much of Florida's Gulf Coast by Sunday night, and predictions show the system could come ashore as a hurricane Monday and cross over northe