A newly identified tropical depression is currently meandering across the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters anticipating it could develop into a tropical storm by the weekend. Formed on September 19, the weather system, designated Tropical Depression Six, has the potential to become the next named storm of the 2026 season, which would carry the name Fay.
As of 11 a.m. ET, the center of the depression was positioned approximately 525 miles southwest of the Azores. At that time, the system was moving at a slow pace of 2 mph toward the north, carrying maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Because tropical storms are defined by sustained wind speeds of at least 39 mph, meteorologists expect the system to gain sufficient strength to reach that threshold later this evening.
Forecasters anticipate favorable conditions will allow for slight strengthening over the next 24 hours, with peak wind speeds potentially reaching 45 mph. Following this brief intensification, the system is projected to weaken after about 36 hours before dissipating entirely within a few days. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alexander Duffus noted that the depression will likely drift northeastward before shifting course to the southwest, steering well clear of the Azores through early next week. Current projections suggest the storm will not pose any direct threats to land.
If the system achieves tropical storm status, it would mark the sixth named storm of the Atlantic season. This development is occurring significantly later than the historical average for a sixth storm, which typically falls on August 29 according to data collected between 1991 and 2020. The 2026 season has been notably sluggish, characterized by a lack of hurricane activity attributed to El Niño conditions, which have actively suppressed storm organization. This recent system follows a period of relative calm since Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall in Louisiana earlier this month. The report also notes that and its wind speeds could get as high as 45 mph, the depression is expected to encounter conditions that make it favorable for slight strengthening over the next day.
