MIAMI-
The ninth tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season formed Wednesday in the central Atlantic, but it was not expected to become a hurricane or threaten land, forecasters said.
The storm was expected to strengthen and could become a tropical storm in the next day, the National Hurricane Center said.
If the storm’s winds reach 39 mph it would become Tropical Storm Isaac.
At 5 p.m. EDT, the depression’s center was located about 810 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving toward the northwest near 14 mph, forecasters said. It had top sustained winds near 35 mph.
The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. September is traditionally one of the busiest months of the season.
The storm was not likely to become a hurricane in part because it was expected to move over cooler waters, which would sap its strength, meteorologist Daniel Brown said.
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