Gustav, still a tropical storm this morning, appears to be tracking further west which could take the center of the track below Jamaica rather than between Jamaica and Cuba. The extended center of the cone is also tracking further west toward south central Louisiana rather than New Orleans. But Gustav isn’t alone. Tropical depression eight is in the tropical Atlantic heading west.

AT 500 AM AST…0900Z…THE CENTER OF NEWLY FORMED TROPICAL
DEPRESSION EIGHT WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.8 NORTH…LONGITUDE
57.9 WEST OR ABOUT 355 MILES…575 KM…EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE
NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.

THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH…8
KM/HR…AND A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON
THIS TRACK THE DEPRESSION WILL BE PASSING WELL NORTH OF THE LEEWARD
ISLANDS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

When this becomes a named storm it will be called Hanna. The long range forecast, for now, has it becoming a hurricane and turning due west around Monday morning. If that track is accurate it could be heading toward the Florida east coast early next week.