HOLT, Fla., Sept. 1, 2018–The area in the Caribbean is slow to develop while Tropical Storm Florence likely won’t build to hurricane strength according to the National Hurricane Center.

The Caribbean weather system is expected to spread westward across the remainder of the Bahamas this weekend before moving across southern Florida and into the eastern Gulf of Mexico by early next week.

Surface pressures are not falling at this time, and development is not anticipated during the next day or two, according to the NHC.

However, environmental conditions are forecast to become a little more favorable for a low-pressure area to form when the disturbance moves across the Gulf of Mexico during the early-to-middle part of next week.

Formation chance through the next five days has increased to 40 percent.

Meanwhile, the NHC upgraded the Atlantic storm system to a tropical storm with the 5 a.m. EDT update.

Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph. This general motion is expected to continue through Tuesday and continue to move toward the open eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph and some strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours.

The NHC does not forecast Florence to build to hurricane strength at this time due to environmental conditions in the Atlantic.

NHC forecast