Florida may have to brace for a tropical storm this weekend. The National Hurricane Center said yesterday that Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine in the Atlantic could become Tropical Storm Isaias today. Currently the system has sustained winds of 45 mph according to the National Hurricane Center.

The effects of the storm could reach Florida by the end of the week. Landfall could come this weekend in South Florida, but almost the entire state is in the NHC’s forecast cone. Now is the time to stock up on your 7-day ration of hurricane supplies.

First, the system must survive a cloud of Saharan dust which retards strengthening, the potential interaction with mountains on the Dominican Republic and an upper level wind shear.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the north coast of Haiti from Le Mole St Nicholas eastward to the northern border with the Dominican Republic.

The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands.