US NHC says 70% chance of cyclone over the Central Atlantic

(Reuters) – A system in the Central Atlantic has a 70% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next two days and a tropical depression is likely to form, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.

“The system is expected to move northwestward at about 15 miles per hour during the next day or so and then turn northward over the central subtropical Atlantic by late Monday or Tuesday,” the Miami-based forecaster said.

The NHC defines a tropical cyclone as having a maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1-minute average) is 33 kt (38 mph or 62 kilometers per hour) or less.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal and Urvi Dugarin in Bengaluru; Editing by Frances Kerry and Aurora Ellis)