7 days of fair skies here, hurricane threat for Fla.

Tropical Storm Isaac could turn into a hurricane on a path that includes Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. By Monday morning it could be heading toward South Florida -- or veering east or west. (Click image to enlarge.) (National Hurricane Center)

By Peter Mucha, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: August 23, 2012

While the area seven-day forecast sees only fair skies ahead, as soon as tomorrow a hurricane could be battering islands in the Carribean, with Florida in its sights.

Not a single shower or thunderstorm is mentioned for Philadelphia through next Tuesday. Temperatures will be warm but not oppressively hot, with highs mostly in the mid to upper 80s, although Friday might see 90 in the city.

The one alarm being raised is for possible rip currents today through Saturday for the New Jersey and Delaware beaches. Temperatures at the Shore will mostly be in the low to mid 80s, although Sunday might only reach the upper 70s, according to the National Weather Service.

For more on the local forecast, go to http://weather.philly.com/US/PA/Philadelphia.html.

Tropical Storm Isaac, heading west in the Caribbean this morning, has already prompted tropical storm warnings from Martinique to Puerto Rico, and hurricane warnings for Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The middle of the swath of possible tracks over the next five days puts Isaac over Cuba on Sunday morning, off South Florida on Monday morning.

The four-day Republican National Convention is scheduled to start Monday in Tampa, on the west coast of Central Florida, about 200 miles northwest of Miami.

"It would take 'perfect storm' sort of conditions to all fall in place" for the system to reach Tampa as a hurricane during the convention, according to a blog post by Jeff Masters of Weather Underground. "That is one of the possibilities."

Organizers do have backup plans ready should Isaac become a threat to the convention, according to the Associated Press.

For updates on Isaac, go to www.nhc.noaa.gov and click on the map depiction of the storm.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.