New tropical depression forms in Atlantic
As if we needed more headaches from the tropics ... The National Hurricane Center has begun watching a new tropical depression in the Atlantic.
Dubbed Tropical Depression 9 for now, the stormy area was located 800 miles west southwest of the Cape Verde Islands - the same region where Earl (and Tropical Storm Fiona) formed last week. The new storm was moving to the west at 15 mph with top sustained winds of 35 mph.
UPDATE 5 p.m. Wednesday: TD9 has graduated to tropical storm status. It is, officially, Gaston. Earlier post resumes below.
Forecasters said the storm was expected to strengthen, and is likely to become a named tropical storm in 48 hours. If so, it would become Tropical Storm Gaston - the seventh named storm of the season.
Here is the latest advisory on TD9. Here is the forecast storm track. And here is the view from space.







