A depression that was slowly moving southward in the Gulf of Mexico developed into a tropical storm Friday, becoming the first named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters said.
Tropical Storm Arlene had maximum sustained winds around 40 mph and was about 170 miles west of the Dry Tortugas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The system was expected to continue moving south and could be a remnant low by Saturday and dissipate Sunday, the NHC said.
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No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
Portions of Florida were expected to experience heavy rainfall over the weekend, though the NHC said the rainfall was not directly related to the depression.
The depression formed on Thursday, the first official day of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends in November.
HURRICANE SEASON
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a "near-normal" 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, with 12-17 named storms expected according to predictions released May 25.
Of those named storms, five to nine are expected to be hurricanes and one to four could be major hurricanes.
