A tropical wave over the eastern tropical Atlantic is likely to become the next named storm by this weekend, forecasters are saying as it continues to head west.

The tropical wave is a few hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde islands and is traveling west to northwest at 15 mph, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The system is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, but conditions should continue to be favorable to development, forecasters said.

The next tropical storm would be named Gabrielle , the seventh storm to develop in the Atlantic during the season, including Hurricane Erin.

State climatologist Jay Grymes said early computer guidance indicated Gabrielle may follow the paths of other Atlantic storms this yea

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