The forecast track for Tropical Storm Gabrielle shows it could impact Bermuda by next week.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed Sept. 17 in the central Atlantic Ocean, far from land, the National Hurricane Center said.

Gabrielle is the 7th named storm to form in the Atlantic basin this year. It's the first named storm in the Atlantic since Aug. 28, an "unprecedented dry spell" in the heart of what's typically the most active part of the hurricane season, according to WPLG-TV hurricane specialist Michael Lowry.

Most of the computer models that meteorologists use to forecast storms show Gabrielle staying far out to sea and not directly affecting U.S. shores. Forecasters warn that it could impact Bermuda by later next week, however.

Where is Gabrielle?

As of 11 a.m. ET Sept. 17, the center of Tropical Storm Gabrielle was located about 1,085 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, the hurricane center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving to the north-northwest at 22 mph.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from the center, primarily in the eastern semicircle of the storm.

Forecast for Gabrielle

The current forecast track shows minimal concern for any land mass, said Houston-based meteorologist Matt Lanza on his blog "the Eyewall."

"Bermuda can't be entirely ruled out here, but that's at least 6 to 7 days out," he said.

Over the next week or so, Gabrielle will track west-northwest or due northwest in the Atlantic, over gradually warming water, Lanza said.

The storm will likely eventually be steered to the north and curve away from the United States, AccuWeather said. However, Gabrielle "could cause rough surf and rip currents along East Coast beaches next week," said AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex Da Silva.

A historic hurricane season 'shutout'

The lull in Atlantic storms is newsworthy: In the modern satellite era (since 1966), "we’ve never seen a shutout" during this very active window of the season, when, on average four named storms and two hurricanes form each season, Lowry said.

So far this season, the Atlantic basin has recorded the lowest activity since 2014 and, with only one hurricane so far (Category 5 Hurricane Erin), the fewest hurricanes through September 15th since 2002, he added.

The quiet season is in stark contrast to most preseason forecasts, which called for an unusually active year. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that as many as 19 named storms could form this year.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle tracker

This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Gabrielle forms in the Atlantic, ending 'unprecedented' storm drought

Reporting by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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