several other weather systems being tracked by hurricane forecasters. At 6 p.m. last night, depression No. 7 was in the eastern Atlantic, centred near latitude 11.1 north, longitude 36.7 west or about 850 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. It was moving west near 15 mph with top winds of 35 mph.

Forecasters said the system could graduate to tropical storm status within a day or two, and -- if it reaches the Caribbean -- it would do so next week.

"It's in a very quiet area right now, in an area that's favourable to development,'' said meteorologist Mr. Jim Gross of the National Hurricane Centre in suburban Coral Gables, Florida.

The depression was some distance from Tropical Storm Danielle, which was making its way up the east coast, as well as Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley.