Storm near Lesser Antilles Could Develop into cyclone

An elongated area of low pressure located about 350 miles east of the Lesser Antilles has a 50 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday.

"Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development during the next day or so, and a tropical depression could form while the system moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 miles per hour across the Lesser Antilles and over the eastern Caribbean Sea," the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

The NHC said the mountainous terrain of Hispaniola and eastern Cuba could limit development of the system during the first part of the weekend, but it expects conditions to become conducive for development by early next week when the system is forecast to move near or over the Bahamas.

Reporting by Kevin Jose