The National Hurricane Center said Saturday that a disturbance near the Bahamas has strengthened into Tropical Depression Nine and is expected to intensify into a tropical storm later in the evening, possibly reaching hurricane strength by early next week. As of 11 a.m. ET, the system was about 115 miles south-southwest of the central Bahamas, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the central and northwestern Bahamas, while a tropical storm watch was posted along Florida’s east coast from Palm Beach County north to Volusia County.

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