The latest hurricane report from the US National Hurricane Center says a depression could form in the Atlantic Ocean and develop into a tropical depression or the next storm of this year's hurricane season.
Accordingly, a low pressure area is likely to appear off the west coast of Africa on August 31.
"Then, weather conditions could support the low pressure's slow development as it moves west to west-northwest at a speed of 24 to 32 km/h across the eastern and central Atlantic tropics next week," the hurricane bulletin said.
Forecasters from the US National Hurricane Center said the new low pressure has a 30% chance of developing over the next 7 days, up from the 20% forecast released on August 28.
If it strengthens, it will be the seventh storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and named Gabrielle.
The latest storm, Fernand, has turned into a low pressure state since the morning of August 28 in the northern Atlantic.
Of the six named storms since the start of this year's hurricane season, only Erin has reached typhoon status. At one point, Erin strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 257 km/h but did not make landfall. However, Hurricane Erin has issued warnings in the Caribbean and Atlantic coast of the United States earlier this month.
In early August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated its hurricane season forecast, with 13-18 named storms expected this year, including five to nine that strengthened into hurricanes. Two to five of those will develop into Category 3 or stronger hurricanes.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with a peak lasting from mid-August to October.
