ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Arlene is slowly moving through the Gulf of Mexico as of Friday afternoon.

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The National Hurricane Center said that Tropical Depression Two was upgraded to Tropical Storm Arlene as it formed in the Gulf of Mexico. west of the Florida coast. It is the first named storm of the 2023 hurricane season.

There have been no forecast changes and no threat to land as of Friday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, WFTV reported. If the storm reaches 74 mph it becomes a hurricane, according to The Associated Press.

According to the news outlet, Central Florida is not expected to see any impacts from the storm.

The storm is located about 265 miles west of Fort Myers, Florida, according to the AP. No storm watches for either Cuba or Florida have been posted.

The storm is expected to drift south toward western Cuba over the weekend and it will weaken, WFTV reported.

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season began Thursday and will run through Nov. 30, according to the AP. During the 2022 season, 14 named storms occurred, including hurricanes Ian, Nicole, and Fiona that caused significant damage.

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