Weather system strengthens as it approaches the Caribbean

Latest National Hurricane Center report warns low pressure system in the Atlantic may become a tropical depression overnight and has a high chance of becoming a tropical cyclone.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Wednesday August 1, 2012 -  according to the latest National Hurricane Centre (NHC) report.

The 2 p.m. EST NHC report indicated that the low pressure system was located near 10.7 north 46.9 west or about 850 miles east of the Windward Islands.

The National Hurricane Center reports that maximum sustained winds have increased to 35 miles per hour and the low pressure system "could become a tropical depression later today or tonight".

The estimated minimum central pressure for the system has remained steady at 1009 mb.

"Interests in the windward islands should monitor the progress of this system" the report said.

Earlier this year Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray of the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University slightly increased their forecast for the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane season. The season is expected to see about 13 named storms, including 5 hurricanes, with two of them being major during the 2012 hurricane season.

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