ORLANDO, Fla. -- The latest projected path of Tropical Storm Barry shifted even more toward Central Florida late Friday, strengthening the chance that some counties will experience severe weather as the system moves over the region, according to Local 6 meteorologist Larry Mowry said.

"We are still going to be on the right side of the storm where we have the heavier rain totals and the possibility for a few isolated tornadoes," Mowry said. "That is going to be the biggest threat for us."

On its current path, the Hurricane Center said the west coast of Florida will experience tropical storm-force winds Saturday morning before moving into the middle of the state.

"We may get a few wind gusts in Lake, Sumter and Flagler counties around the 39 mph threshold during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon hours," Mowry said. "Then, all the wind energy will move off to the north and away for us."

Mowry said the storm showed signs of weakening late Friday.

"One thing I've noticed is that the thunderstorms that were really flaring up quite clearly at 5 and 6 p.m., they've started to shift away from the center of circulation which is a sign of weakening," Mowry said.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Barry was centered in the Gulf of Mexico about 180 miles southwest of Tampa and about 175 west-northwest of Key West. It had sustained winds of about 50 miles per hour near the center with higher gusts and was moving north-northeast at near 15 miles per hour. Winds of about 40 miles per hour were being reported on the state's southern and eastern coasts.

Barry's projected path shows the storm producing 50 mph winds off the west coast of Florida Saturday at 8 a.m.

The track then takes the storm into north Florida and southern Georgia later Saturday.

Tropical Storm Warnings Issued

Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning, which means tropical storm conditions are expected in the next day, for the Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to Keaton Beach. A less severe tropical storm watch, meaning such conditions were expected within 36 hours, was issued from north of Keaton Beach to St. Marks.

Barry's maximum sustained winds were about 45 mph. The hurricane center said it threatened to bring dangerous battering waves, coastal flooding of up to 5 feet and rainfall of 3 to 6 inches in the Florida Keys up through southeast Georgia.

Tropical Storm Barry formed more than three weeks after the first named storm of the year -- Subtropical Storm Andrea -- developed about 150 miles northeast of Daytona Beach. Andrea skirted the southern Atlantic coast but caused minimal damage.

First Day Of Hurricane Season

Word of the storm's development came on the first official day of a hurricane season forecasters have said they expect to be busier than normal. The National Weather Service said it expects 13 to 17 tropical storms, with seven to 10 of them becoming hurricanes and three to five of them in the strong category.

Roberts said it was "coincidence, maybe" that the storm formed on the first day of the season.

Florida is facing one of its worst droughts on record, but the tropical weather wasn't expected to ease conditions much.

"It'll help a little bit, but everyone is so far below rainfall that we're still going to be under drought conditions," said Kim Brabander, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "To really alleviate the drought conditions we're going to need anywhere from 30 to 40 inches of rain."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.