Tropical Storm Isaac has not yet intensified to hurricane strength but just before lunchtime on the east coast the maximum sustained winds has reached 60 mph, which is the most powerful the storm has been recorded at so far.

The threshold for a hurricane is 74 mph and experts are expecting Isaac to increase in power in the coming days, although most do not believe it will reach hurricane strength until Monday.

The deep convection (strongest thunderstorms) is placed mostly to the south, and a developing storm, according to experts, prefers to have its strongest thunderstorms to form over the center, according to The Washington Post.

According to reports southern Florida could be hit with strong storms and extensive rainfall in the coming days, with about 6 to 9 inches expected in the coming few days. Some local areas are expected to receive even more.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic could see about 10 to 20 inches of rainfall and will see a bigger brunt of the storm.

Jamaica and eastern Cuba should also see between 6 to 12 inches of rainfall, according to current predictions.

Dan Kottlowski, head of the AccuWeather Hurricane Center has said, "Given Isaac's current position and momentum in the Caribbean, the storm is much more likely to track into the Gulf of Mexico than to track along the east coast of Florida."

The Weather Channel has come to a similar conclusion having analyzed the latest data: "Confidence is high that Isaac will eventually affect the U.S. possibly beginning as soon as Sunday and continuing into next week. Our hurricane threat index graphic shows that locations from far southeast Texas to Florida should stay vigilant and monitor the progress of Isaac very closely."

Eric Blake, a forecaster with U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, has said, "We think it could become a hurricane on Monday. It would be somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico."

100 mph winds could be expected by early next week as Hurricane Isaac continues on its path, and could turn into a category 2 hurricane.