New tropical depression, could become Colin

Barbados (CMC): A new tropical depression formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, and was travelling on a path projected to take it north of the islands of the Eastern Caribbean.

Forecasters said tropical depression four, which had maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 kilometres per hour), has the potential to be a tropical storm by yesterday.

The tropical depression was located about 1,365 miles (2,200 kilometres) east of the Lesser Antilles and moving west-northwest at 17 mph (28 km/h).

Based on the path projected by the United States National Hurricane Centre in Miami, it is expected to travel north of the Leeward Islands by tomorrow morning and miss the Bahamas archipelago.

2 storms so far

So far, there have been only two tropical storms for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season that started on June 1 - neither of which has had a direct impact on the Caribbean while at that intensity.

If tropical depression four develops further, it would be named Colin.