MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Tropical Depression 16 strengthened into Tropical Storm Patty late Thursday afternoon, just hours after forming in the northeastern Carribean.

At 11 p.m. Thursday, the center of T.S. Patty was about 260 miles northeast of the central Bahamas.

Maximum sustained winds were 45 mph with higher gusts.

The storm was stationary. The National Hurricane Center forecast calls for the storm to turn southwest tonight and increase its speed by Friday.

Little change in strength is forecast overnight, and the storm is expected to remain northeast of the central Bahamas until a gradual weakening begins on Saturday night.

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