Tropical Storm Philippe formed over Cuban skies yesterday and is fast approaching southern Florida, Cuban and US meteorologists said last night.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the "disorganised" storm was about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Havana at 0001 GMT Sunday, moving north at 28 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour.

On the forecast track, Philippe’s center will swiftly cross the Straits of Florida, "and move across the Florida Keys or the southern tip of the Florida peninsula overnight, and across the northwestern Bahamas Sunday morning," the NHC said.

The Hurricane Center also warned that brief tornadoes were possible across portions of South Florida.