Tropical Storm Florence Gets Heftier in the Central Atlantic

Tropical Storm Florence got a little stronger on Monday morning as it continued to track westward in the central Atlantic.

As of 10 a.m. CDT Monday, Florence was located about 1,505 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Florence had winds of 65 mph, which is a peak for the storm, which formed late last week near the Cabo Verde Islands off Africa's west coast.

The hurricane center said Florence could even get a bit stronger briefly before weakening again, although it is still not forecast to become a hurricane through Saturday.

Florence is forecast to continue on its west-northwest track for the next few days, which will keep it safely out to sea.

Forecasters continued to watch Florence in case it takes a track closer to the U.S. in the future.

But the hurricane center didn't mention any possible implications for the East Coast in its latest forecast discussion.

It's too early to say with any certainty if Florence could be anything for the U.S. to worry about.

Forecasters were also monitoring a tropical wave that has emerged off the west coast of Africa. That wave has a 30 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next five days and is forecast to take a path south of Florence.

Source: AL (Alabama)