The following report is from Carvill's ReAdvisory atmosphericphysicist Dr. Steve Smith.

Tropical Storm Florence became the sixth named storm of the 2006season yesterday morning as the National Hurricane Center (NHC)upgraded Tropical Depression Six. The NHC had been expecting it tobecome a tropical storm for a number of days. Its intensificationhad, until yesterday morning, been hampered by a combination ofwind shear and dry air. Consequently, Florence is barely a tropicalstorm and any intensification over the next several days likelywill be slow. Florence is, however, a very large storm withtropical storm force winds extending out 115 miles from thecenter.

The hurricane models are presenting a rough picture ofFlorence's track over the next several days. Several of them expectthat the frontal system currently over the U.S. will force theBermuda High eastward, thereby opening a hole that would allowFlorence to begin to curve northwards. Under this scenario,Florence would not come near the U.S. coast, although may pose thethreat to Bermuda next week