A tropical depression has formed in the central Atlantic Ocean and is expected to soon strengthen into Tropical Storm Gabrielle.

The National Hurricane Center said in an early morning advisory on Sept. 17 that the system, currently labeled Tropical Depression Seven, was located about 1,185 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

Forecasters said the depression has maximum sustained winds near 35 mph with higher gusts and that slow strengthening is expected, with the system expected to become a tropical storm by the night of Sept. 17.

The system is moving west at around 13 mph, and a west-northwestward to northwestward motion is expected during the next few days.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic, the NHC said it is keeping tabs on a tropical wave located a few hundred miles e

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