TAMPA, Fla. — The tropics are still hot in the Atlantic as we head toward the peak of hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center has been tracking a system — Invest 95-L — for development, and it's now organized enough to be classified as a depression.
Tropical Depression Thirteen formed Tuesday morning from Invest 95-L. It's currently thousands of miles from land. However, the NHC said interests in the Leeward Islands should keep an eye on its development.
Thirteen is currently packing 35 mph winds. When it hits 39 mph sustained winds, it'll be classified as a tropical storm. The next name on the list is Lee.
Tropical Depression Thirteen is currently forecast to continue gaining strength over the next few days, developing into a hurricane and even a major hurricane by the weekend.
The NHC says it's still too early to determine exactly where Tropical Depression Thirteen will continue to track and if it will be a threat to land. At this time, Florida and the United States aren't in any danger from this system.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, the NHC is monitoring two other tropical waves for potential development. A "strong" tropical wave is currently located near the coast of West Africa. Over the next seven days, this wave is expected to gradually develop and has a 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression by the end of the week.
Another tropical wave is actually Post-Tropical Cyclone Franklin. Right now, the NHC isn't expecting much from these remnants but it could pick up some subtropical or tropical characteristics later in the week or over the weekend. Over the next seven days, however, it only has a 20 percent chance for development.