Until then, the front is being called Tropical Depression Four, with the name Debby available should it graduate to tropical storm. Maximum sustained winds of 30 mph kept it below the 39 mph threshold for tropical storm status late Friday, but the National Hurricane Center said it would continue to strengthen. The front graduated from Potential Tropical Depression Four to Tropical Depression Four on Friday night as it gained strength over warm Caribbean waters. It was "expected to become a tropical storm over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by late Saturday," the hurricane center said in an update late Friday. A tropical storm watch is also in effect for some areas, including the Florida Keys south of the Card Sound Bridge.

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Persons: Debby, simmer, Philip Klotzbach Organizations: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, Atlantic, Colorado State University Locations: Cuba, Gulf of Mexico, Caibarien, Mexico, Florida, Boca Grande, Tampa