Tropical Depression Forms In Atlantic

Just as forecasters expected an area of disturbed weather in the tropical Atlantic has strengthened into a tropical cyclone. Tropical Depression Four formed late Wednesday night about 1500 miles east of the Lesser Antilles Islands.

The latest observations on the system show a maximum sustained wind at 30 mph. This is nine miles per hour below the threshold needed for the system to become a named tropical storm.

The movement of the system is a general west to northwesterly motion. This movement is expected to continue for the next several days. On the current forecast track, the center of circulation of the system will pass to the north and east of the most of the tropical islands of the Greater Antilles chain as well as Puerto Rico, HIspanolia, and the Bahamas.

Atmospheric conditions near the storm's current location and along its forecast track should not be conducive for much further strengthening. The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center keeps the system as a tropical depression for at least the next five days.

Should the storm maintain its organization through the next five days it could become a threat for the east coast of the United States at some time next week.