Tropical Storm Dean forms in Atlantic

MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Dean formed in the open Atlantic on Tuesday, but remained far from land, forecasters said.

At 4 p.m., the storm was centered about 1,140 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and about 1,390 miles east of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center. It had top sustained winds of 40 mph, just above the threshold to be a named storm. Some strengthening was expected within the next day.

Dean was moving over increasingly warmer waters, where atmospheric conditions could create a favorable environment for intensification into a hurricane by Friday, forecasters said.

It was cruising west at about 21 mph. Forecasters said it is too early to predict where Dean will go.