Tropical Storm Idalia heading toward Florida, US NHC says

Tropical Storm Idalia has formed near the Yucatan Channel about 80 miles (130 km) east-northeast of Cozumel in Mexico and is heading toward Florida, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.

The storm, which strengthened from a tropical depression, has sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and could become a hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday, NHC said.

"Observations from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Tropical Depression Ten has strengthened into Tropical Storm Idalia," the Miami-based weather forecaster said.