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

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

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