A tropical depression that formed Wednesday morning in the central Atlantic Ocean has now strengthened into Tropical Storm Gabrielle and is expected to become a hurricane in the next four to five days.

Forecasters say Gabrielle — the seventh named storm so far in this year’s Atlantic hurricane season — is currently packing top sustained winds of 45 mph and is centered about 1,085 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

The system is moving north-northwest at a pace of 22 mph and is expected to gradually strengthen by this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said in a public advisory issued late Wednesday morning.

“Fortunately, for now, it appears Gabrielle will curl well to the north of the Leeward Islands this weekend,” forecasters from The Weather Channel noted. “Some hig

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