MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Cristobal formed off the South Carolina coast Saturday, and further strengthening is likely, the National Hurricane Center said.
![](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/US/weather/07/19/tropical.weather/art.cristobal.115p.noaa.jpg)
Satellite image taken at 1:15 p.m. Saturday shows Tropical Storm Cristobal off the coast of the Carolinas.
The center of the storm was expected to move along the South and North Carolina coasts on Saturday and Sunday, dumping up to 5 inches of rain, forecasters said.
A tropical storm warning -- meaning tropical storm conditions with maximum winds of 39 mph are expected within the next 24 hours -- was issued for an area from South Santee River, South Carolina, to the North Carolina-Virginia border.
As of 2 p.m. ET, Cristobal's center was about 100 miles (160 km) east of Charleston, South Carolina, and about 225 miles (365 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was moving northeast at near 7 mph.
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http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/07/19/tropical.weather/index.html