Tropical depression might evolve into Tropical Storm Fred — Yucatán on the lookout

The Yucatan Peninsula has been on alert since early Monday following a warning issued by the Mexican National Water Commission.

The Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques as well the southern coast of the Dominican Republic are on the watch for a potentially damaging storm.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a tropical storm warning early Tuesday.

It is expected that for the next few hours one of the low-pressure zones located in the Atlantic Ocean will evolve into a Tropical Depression and later it could become a Tropical Storm.

If the weather system organizes, it will be called Fred.

By Wednesday, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as the southern Bahamas, could be hit by the storm.

Meanwhile, in Florida, USA, the population was asked to stay tuned to the news, although it was not yet clear where the storm might move.

At 7:00 AM, the disturbance was near latitude 16.0 North, longitude 63.1 West. The system is moving west-northwestward at about 28 km/h and this general motion is expected to continue for the next several days.

In the forecast, the disturbance is expected to pass near or over the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this Tuesday afternoon or evening, and to approach the island of Hispaniola on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds remain near 55 km/h) with stronger gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast during the day today, so the disturbance is expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday afternoon. Some weakening is likely as the system interacts with the island of Hispaniola tomorrow, Wednesday.