Tropical depression forms in Gulf

MIAMI -- A tropical depression formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, which is the official first day of the Atlantic hurricane season.

National Hurricane Center forecasters said in an advisory that the storm had sustained winds of 35 mph and was located about 305 miles west-northwest of Fort Myers, Florida.

The National Hurricane Center predicted the depression could strengthen into a tropical storm Thursday night or Friday. But the system should begin to weaken by Friday night and degenerate into a remnant low by Saturday.

Tropical storms have winds of at least 39 mph; anything 74 mph or higher is designated a hurricane.

The hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. Last year's season had 14 named storms, with extensive damage caused by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Fiona.