ORLANDO, Fla. _ A tropical depression has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday evening in its first advisory about the system.
Tropical Depression 11 is expected to strengthen over the next two days and become Tropical Storm Josephine. Satellite imagery showed the depression has developed a less elongated circulation with a well-defined center, the NHC said.
The system, moving west at 16 mph, had 35 mph sustained winds and was located about 1,450 miles from the Lesser Antilles.
"A west-northwestward motion at a similar forward speed is forecast to begin Wednesday night and continue through the rest of the week," the NHC said.
Significant weakening could happen as the depression moves toward the northern Leeward Islands later this week when it encounters a southwesterly shear that could tear the system apart, the NHC said. At this point, it's not forecasted to become a hurricane and it's too early to say if there will be any impact on Florida.
The season has seen nine named storms including two hurricanes plus the short-lived Tropical Depression 10.
