MIAMI-
The ninth tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season remained in the central Atlantic on Thursday, but was not expected to become a hurricane or threaten land, forecasters said.
The depression was expected to intensify and was close to tropical storm strength, the National Hurricane Center said.
At 5:00 a.m. EDT, the depression’s center was located about 685 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving toward the northwest near 12 mph. This general motion was expected to continue during the next day, forecasters said.
The depression, which formed Wednesday, had top sustained winds near 35 mph. If the storm’s winds reach 39 mph it will become Tropical Storm Isaac.
The storm was expected to develop into a tropical storm, but it does not appear that winds will reach the 74 mph necessary to become a hurricane, hurricane specialist Jack Beven said.
“This depression is not currently a threat to land, and if it continues this track it won’t be a threat to land,” Beven said.
The depression was expected to move north and then northeastern over the open Atlantic, away from the United States, forecasters said.
The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. September is traditionally one of the busiest months of the season.
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