A tropical storm off the coast of the Bahamas is expected to strengthen over the next day and could hit the island chain with high winds and heavy rain.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Tropical Storm Franklin is 130 kilometers east of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of the Bahamas.
The hurricane center warns that the storm - a record sixth "named" storm less than two months into the current hurricane season - could dump up to 10 centimeters of rain in the northern Bahamas.
The hurricane center says the storm is packing winds near 75 kilometers per hour and traveling northwest about 15 kilometers per hour.
The forecasters say the storm is expected to turn north and could stay parallel to the coast of Florida, but some erratic motion is possible.
