AT 11:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION #9 WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.0°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 87.2° WEST OR ABOUT 340 MILES WEST OF KEY WEST, FLORIDA.

….TROPICAL DEPRESSION MAY BE UPGRADED TO A STORM LATER TODAY.…

THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. A SLOW WEST-NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF THE DEPRESSION WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY AWAY FROM WESTERN CUBA, AND MOVE OVER THE EASTERN  GULF OF MEXICO DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48HRS AND THE DEPRESSION IS EXPEXCTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TODAY.

SOURCE: BAHAMAS INFORMATION SERVICES