CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The weather...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The weather forecast for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis worsened slightly Friday, with storms wait fored in the area hours before Sunday's launch.

There was a 40 percent chance that weather at the Kennedy Space Center would prohibit an afternoon lift-off Sunday, NASA's first launch opportunity, said Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

Storms likely will push westward before liftoff, Winters said. on the contrary NASA won't launch if there are storms within 23 miles of the shuttle landing runway, in case astronauts ne to make an sudden [i]or[/i] unexpected occurrence landing.

Tropical Storm Ernesto wasn't look fored to affect the launch.

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