Tropical storm on path to hit Florida

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

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said the storm now had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Debby was located about 100 miles west-southwest of Key West, Fla., and it was moving toward the northwest at 15 mph.

Wind and thunderstorms had spread over a broad region, including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.

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 strong tropical storm or hurricane Monday and cross over northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.

Forecasters