Tropical Depression Seven has developed in the central Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The depression is expected to continue strengthening, and it could become a tropical storm later today or tonight and a hurricane Sunday morning.
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The long-range forecast as of Wednesday morning range from the system being a weak low to a major hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.
“This tropical depression is expected to develop into the next named tropical storm in the Atlantic,” said AccuWeather lede hurricane expert Alex DaSilva.
“Steering currents will guide the depression mainly north of the Caribbean and away from the U.S.”
Once maximum sustained winds reach at least 39 mph, the depression will become Tropical Storm Gabrielle, the seventh named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
Highlights on what Tropical Depression 7 is doing now
Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
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Location: 1,185 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands
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Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph
Tropical Depression 7 expected to become Tropical Storm Gabrielle, then hurricane
At 5 a.m., the center of Tropical Depression Seven was located near latitude 13.7 North, longitude 45.9 West. The depression is well away from land and roughly midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Windward Islands.
The depression is moving toward the west near 13 mph. A west-northwestward to northwestward motion across the tropical and subtropical central Atlantic is expected during the next few days.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph, with higher gusts.
Slow strengthening is expected, and the system could become a tropical storm later today or tonight. The system is forecast to become a hurricane Sunday.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb.
Spaghetti models for Tropical Depression 7
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
See map of current watches, warnings in Florida
No watches or warnings associated with the tropical depression have been issued in Florida or the U.S.
How strong is Tropical Depression 7 and where is it going?
Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Tropical Depression 7
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Circulation has improved overnight, although it’s not well defined.
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There is high confidence the system should pass well east of the Windward and Leeward Islands.
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Residents in Bermuda especially are encouraged to monitor forecasts of the depression over the next several days.
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Only modest strengthening is expected over the next day or two as the depression continues to battle moderate shear and dry air.
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More notable strengthening seems likely by the weekend.
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The NHC intensity forecast shows the system reaching hurricane strength, but it should be noted that “the spread in the models at that time is significant and ranges from solutions showing a weak low to a major hurricane.”
Current forecast: Where is Tropical Depression 7 going and how strong could it get?
What impact could Tropical Depression 7 have? Could Florida, US feel any impacts?
That’s unknown at this time, although current forecasts call for the system to curve north in the Atlantic and stay away from Florida and the United States.
Residents in Bermuda are advised to watch the system closely.
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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: National Hurricane Center tracking Tropical Depression 7. Florida impacts
