With another system on the verge of becoming the year's sixth tropical storm, U.S. forecasters are raising their estimate of potential storms in the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season.




"We are increasing the likelihood of an above-normal season because storm-conducive wind patterns and warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures are now in place in the Atlantic," said Gerry Bell, the lead hurricane season forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "These conditions are linked to the ongoing high activity era for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995. Also, strong early-season activity is generally indicative of a more active season."



On Thursday afternoon, a new tropical depression formed in the tropical Atlantic  far from land. It was the seventh tropical depression to form in the Atlantic and forecasters said it had maximum sustained winds of 20 mph and was 1,155 miles east of the Windward islands.  If becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Gordon.

Channel 4 meteorologist Richard Nunn said the forecast models show the system tracking west into the Caribbean, similar to the path Ernesto was on one week earlier. 

And a low pressure system that is the remnants of Tropical Storm Florence was not likely to regain storm strength, but could bring showers along the southeast U.S. coast by Sunday.