A tropical storm watch has been issued for all of the west coast of Florida, south of Bonita Beach.
At 5:00 p.m. the center of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near Latitude 17.2 North, Longitude 71.9 West. Isaac is moving toward the northwest near 16 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days.
On the forecast track, the center of Isaac should make landfall in Haiti this evening, move near or over southeastern Cuba on Saturday, move near or over central Cuba Saturday night and approach the Florida Keys on Sunday.
Reports from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is likely before landfall, followed by some weakening as the center crosses Haiti and southeastern Cuba.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles from the center.