Tropical Depression Seven strengthened into Tropical Storm Gabrielle on Wednesday morning. Maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph as the storm accelerated to a north-northwest trajectory at 22 mph.

This comes after the system became a tropical depression overnight, ending the nearly three-week period without any active storms coinciding with the peak of hurricane season.

Gabrielle is midway between the Cabo Verde and the Windward Islands and will generally drift northwest this week. Such a track would keep the system northeast of the Caribbean islands and avoid Gulf Coast impacts. As Gabrielle will eventually track into the open Atlantic, Bermuda should monitor closely.

The storm may strengthen slowly at first due to wind shear and dry air, but as conditions improve over weekend, Gabrielle could become a hurricane. Long-range forecasts still vary widely, ranging from a weak system to a strong hurricane.