Tropical depression 7 has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a tropical storm as early as Friday.

In the National Hurricane Centers' 11 p.m. advisory on Friday, Tropical Depression #7 was about 365 miles east of Barbados with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving west at 24 mph.

Tropical storm watches were enacted over the Lesser Antilles on Friday.

The tropical depression was expected to continue moving in the same direction over the next 48 hours. Some strengthening was forecast, and the system could become a tropical storm late Friday. It is expected to approach the Windward Islands on Saturday, and could become a tropical storm before then. It would become Tropical Storm Gordon.

Tropical storm watches were issued for Guadeloupe and Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

"TD 7 is taking the same track as Ernesto, staying well south of Florida, but we're several days out and this forecast could change," said Local 6 meteorologist Troy Bridges.

There are currently four tropical systems being watched, including former Tropical Storm Ernesto in Mexico, the remnants of what was once Tropical Storm Florence in the Atlantic, tropical depression 7 and a tropical wave off Africa.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.