Tropical Storm Gabrielle has spun up in the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters say

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean but was far from land, forecasters said.

The center of Gabrielle re-formed from its morning position and was located about 990 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The tropical storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and was moving to the northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), forecasters said.

The weather service predicted little change in strength over the next couple of days but said the storm could intensify over the weekend.

There were no watches or warnings in effect, and no hazards affecting land. Gabrielle was expected to remain over open waters for the next several days.

This year's Atlantic hurricane season has been relatively quiet, with no named storms for about three weeks and only one named hurricane. Experts say there's a few reasons for that, but it doesn't mean dangerous systems won't form later.

The Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30.