A center of circulation developed within a tropical wave designated as Invest 98L on Tuesday and the National Hurricane Center classified the system as Tropical Depression Six.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Depression Six was located at latitude 12.6°N and longitude 34.1°W which put it about 1800 miles (2900 km) east of the Leeward Islands.  The depression was moving toward the northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (70 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1008 mb.

The circulation of Tropical Depression Six is still organizing.  A center of circulation exists near the surface and thunderstorms are developing near the center.  Several partial spiral bands are beginning to form.  The thunderstorms near the center are generating a small region of upper level divergence, but the divergence is occurring mainly to the southwest of the depression.

Tropical Depression Six is moving through an environment that favors intensification.  It is moving over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 27°C.  An upper level ridge to the north is causing northeasterly winds to blow across the top of the depression.  There is some vertical wind shear, but the shear will only slow the rate of intensification.  The shear is not strong enough to prevent intensification and Tropical Depression Six is expected to become a tropical storm during the next day or two.

The subtropical ridge over Africa and the Atlantic Ocean is splitting into two parts and Tropical Depression Six is moving toward the northwest into the split that is developing.  The depression is expected to continue to move toward the northwest in the short term.  The longer term motion will depend on how strong Tropical Depression Six becomes.  If it intensifies more and develops a taller circulation, then the depression will be steered by the winds higher in the atmosphere.  The winds at those levels are more likely to carry it into the central Atlantic Ocean.  However, if vertical wind shear weakens the depression and the circulation is shallower, then the winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere could carry the depression farther to the west.  In either case Tropical Depression Six is no immediate threat to any land area.