Tropical depression forms in Gulf of Mexico on 1st day of hurricane season

A tropical depression formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the official first day of the <a href=”https://apnews.com/article/atlantic-hurricane-season-667d6ba46fa5259d2e5b85513d86ee86″>Atlantic hurricane season</a>. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and was located about 290 miles (465 kilometers) west-northwest of Fort Myers, Florida, as of late Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. It was heading south at 3 mph (6 kph) and on a forecast path that could take it toward western Cuba. The center said the depression could strengthen into a tropical storm Thursday night or Friday, but it should begin to weaken by Friday night and degenerate into a remnant low by the following day. Tropical storms have winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph); anything 74 mph (119 kph) or higher is designated a hurricane. The hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. Last year’s season had 14 named storms, with extensive damage caused by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole a
nd Fiona.