Ophelia Around the Bend, while Maria and Nate Keep Loafing Around in the Atlantic

Tropical depression 16 popped up about 180 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida on Tuesday and prompted a tropical storm warning along 120 miles of Florida´s Atlantic coast, from Jupiter north of Palm Beach to Titusville near Cape Canaveral.

The tropical depression could strengthen into Tropical Storm Ophelia anytime soon, with a threat of heavy rains over the next few days along the coast. Ophelia would be the 15th tropical storm of the 2005 season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Two other storms were in the open ocean on earlier this week. Tropical Storm Nate was approximately 275 miles southwest of Bermuda and was expected to turn northeast later in the week.

Meanwhile, Maria, the fifth hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, reached Category 3 strength on Monday, but posed only a threat to shipping interests in the mid-Atlantic.