Spectators take cover from the rain on Court One at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT TENNIS)
Spectators take cover from the rain on Court One at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT TENNIS) REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Although still a relatively weak storm as of Wednesday, weather forecasters have advised residents off the U.S. East Coast. and Canada's Maritimes to brace for a wet weather this coming July 4th weekend.

The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday said Tropical Storm Arthur, the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season that formed off the central Florida coast, will bring heavy rain, gusty thunderstorms, coastal flooding, rough seas and dangerous rip currents to beaches from Florida to southern New England this week.

Although Arthur remains a long way from any potential impact on Atlantic Canada, the Weather Network forecast possible affected areas could either be a near miss to more of a direct impact if the tropical storm does carry on.

"The impacts of the storm could be over a much wider area," Dennis Feltgen, NHC spokesman, said.

NHC forecast Arthur will become a Category One hurricane by Friday morning, with possible winds reaching a maximum of 90 mph (145 kph), before losing strength.

NHC expects it to remain offshore and move east of the north Florida coast during the next day.

According to meteorologists at AccuWeather.com, the storm will have the heaviest impact on coastal areas from North Carolina to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Long Island, New York in the U.S.

For Canada, CBC meteorologist Peter Coade said Tropical Storm Arthur is heading north and north-east and will pass the Maritimes soon. "The rain for that in the Maritimes will start Saturday morning and we could see heavy rain during the day Saturday and into Saturday night."