MIAMI, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Tropical Depression 8, an innocuous storm gestating out in the Atlantic is benign now but seems destined to become Tropical Storm Ingrid, U.S. forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center said early Thursday the loosely organized depression was located about 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles -- more than 2,000 miles from the Florida coast -- and carried winds of just 35 mph.
The storm system was still in its infancy and while it seemed to be moving in the general direction of the Bahamas, forecasters said it was too early to predict its path or future strength over the next five days with much certainty, The Miami Herald reported. It was, however, expected to reach the tropical storm threshold of 39 mph Thursday and 65 mph by Sunday, the newspaper said.
But an area of high pressure to the north called the Bermuda High and a change in crosswinds could reduce the odds of it hitting hurricane strength of 74 mph at least through Monday, forecasters said.
Jack Beven of the hurricane center told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that some forecast models "want it to go more to the north, some to the west."
