Hurricane forecasters are keeping close tabs on two areas of disturbed weather in the Tropical Atlantic. The closest is Tropical Depression Six, located about 780 miles east of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The sixth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season developed Thursday out of a strong tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles. It was upgraded when it developed a closed circulation, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.
At 5 p.m. Thursday the center of the depression was located near 14.9 north latitude, 53.5 west longitude moving to the west-northwest at about 12 miles per hour.
The depression's winds are about 35 miles per hour.
"The depression is not well-organized at the present time, but only a small increase in strength would bring the depression to tropcial storm status," meteorologist Alan Archer said Thursday evening.
He encouraged those in the Leeward Islands, northeastward through the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to closely monitor the progress of the depression. Advisories are being issued by the National Hurricane Center every six hours. If the depression is upgraded, it will become Tropical Storm Chris.
The second system, an area of disturbed weather, is centered at 11 degrees north latitude, 28 degrees west longitude moving to the west at 15 miles per hour. The system, located southwest of the Cape Verde Islands, contains a 1010 millibar low pressure center, Archer said Thursday.
Through Saturday, Virgin Islands weather should be dominated by a dome of high pressure north of the islands, with generally sunny skies in the area with a chance of scattered showers.
Archer's complete weather forecast including a tropical weather update can be heard on the Knight Quality Stations weather information line at 774-4786. For the latest Virgin Islands forecast, click on the rainbow icon at the top of the Source menu.
