Tropical Storm Arlene forms in the Gulf, expected to bring rain to South Florida
MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday.
Forecasters flying into system found stronger winds, prompting the upgrade to tropical storm status.
Arlene was expected to weaken because of wind shear and dry air, but central and southern portions of Florida were expected to see rain through Saturday, with some areas getting up to 5 inches. That could result in isolated flash, urban, and small-stream flooding.
Much of South Florida remains under a flood watch until midnight because of the possibility of an additional 2 to 6 inches of rain that could fall during the day.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for portions of Miami-Dade County through 1:30 p.m.
There were reports of winds gusts of up to 60 mph in southern Miami-Dade.
"It's been a very wet week," CBS News meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez said. "And we're going to continue with this unsettled pattern."
The National Hurricane Center said the storm was drifting southward in the Gulf and spinning moisture to the east and towards Florida, Gonzalez said.
But wind shear was inhibiting the system from organizing into a more developed storm.
There is an 80 percent chance of rain on Friday, when the temperature will top out in the upper 80s.
Rain chances remain in the forecast on Saturday but drier air will arrive on the back half of the weekend, according to Gonzalez.
