Stormy weather brewing

Tropical depression expected to hit Florida

A tropical depression northwest of Cuba headed farther out into the Gulf of Mexico Monday but is expected to hook back and strike Florida later in theweek as a tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. advisory said the system is expected to achieve tropical storm status — with sustained winds of at least 39 mph — by today. The storm is expected to head north and and hit Florida Thursday, with tropical storm-force winds possible from the Panhandle to just south of Tampa.

South Florida and the Keys can expect three to five inches of rain through Wednesday. It's unclear how close the storm could come to South Florida when it hits the state toward the end of the week. Isolated amounts of up to seven inches are possible for coastal areas of southern Florida and the Keys.

Tropical Depression Nine is about 195 miles west of Key West and is expected to turn toward the west-northwest and then turn to the north-northeast by Wednesday, putting a large section of the state's Gulf coast at risk of tropical storm-force winds. It is moving toward the west at 5 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Hurricane Gaston is spinning in the open waters of the Atlantic at 105 mph, making it a Category 2 storm. It is no threat to land.

Tropical Depression Eight is about 140 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. The system is expected to be near the Outer Banks of North Carolina late today.