As Hurricane Gabrielle becomes a major hurricane, we are watching two other areas of potential development in the Atlantic.
In the Central Tropical Atlantic, shower and thunderstorm activity associated with a tropical wave located midway between the Lesser Antilles and the Cabo Verde Islands continues to increase.
Environmental conditions are forecast to become more favorable tomorrow and a tropical depression is likely to form on Wednesday or Thursday while the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward across the central Atlantic.
Formation chance through 48 hours is 30 percent and the formation chance through 7 days is 80 percent.
The other area of interest is east of the Leeward Islands. This tropical wave, located about 300 miles east of the Leeward Islands, is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
Environmental conditions could allow for some development over the next few days as the wave moves quickly westward to west- northwestward at 15 to 20 mph.
By the latter part of this week, the system is expected to slow down and turn more northwestward, and a tropical depression could form late this week when the system is over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean or near the Bahamas.
The formation chance through 48 hours is 10 percent and the formation chance through 7 days is 50 percent.
Hurricane Gabrielle is a Category 4 hurricane. The center of Hurricane Gabrielle was located near latitude 32.4 North, longitude 61.0 West.
Gabrielle is moving toward the north-northeast at 13 mph. This general motion is expected today, followed by a faster northeastward or east-northeastward motion on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the center of Gabrielle is expected to pass east of Bermuda tonight.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 140 mph with higher gusts.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb.