BIG STORM WON’T HIT FLORIDA, BUT GULF REGION THREAT REMAINS

While the threat of a tropical storm or hurricane in Florida this weekend has diminished, a system could still spin up in the Gulf of Mexico by early next week, meteorologists warn.

A swirl of clouds and thunderstorms, known as “Invest 99L,” continues to spin about 400 miles southeast of Miami.

Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall were forecast for southern Florida and the Florida Keys over the weekend, the National Hurricane Center reported.

But the chance the system strengthens into a tropical depression or tropical storm on Saturday or Sunday is low, the hurricane center said.

— Doyle Rice, USA TODAY