Ultimately, Tropical Storm Alex appears to be headed toward either Mexico or Texas.
That would be good news for those working the BP oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico, although the system could produce rough seas in that area.
More good news for South Florida: Contrary to earlier reports, Alex is not expected to produce stormy weather here, at least, not today.
The National Weather Service - which had intially said the system could make for a stormy weekend - now says we should see plenty of sun, with only a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today. There is a 40 percent chance of rain on Sunday.
Alex, the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, emerged early this morning.
At 8 a.m. today, it was 225 miles southeast of Chetumal, Mexico, aiming for the Yucatan, moving northwest at 8 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph.
The National Hurricane Center predicts it will weaken back into a depression as it crosses the Yucatan Sunday and Monday and re-strengthen once it drifts into the Gulf.
The long-range forecast, subject to large errors, points Alex toward the Texas-Mexico border, arriving next Thursday or Friday. Potentially, it could be near hurricane strength at that time, forecasters said.
The hurricane center also is monitoring a tropical wave near the northern Leeward Islands, giving it a 10 percent chance of developing over the next two days.
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