Tropical Storm Fred turning into a hurricane

According to forecasters, Tropical Storm Fred has formed in the Atlantic and is likely to strengthen over the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Linda far out in the Pacific Ocean didn't gain in intensity Monday night.

According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fred, the sixth named storm of the Atlantic season, had sustained winds at 40 mph (65 kph). It's about 245 miles (390 kilometers) south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. It moving west-northwest at about 15 mph (24 kph).

Linda's winds were near 60 mph (95 kph). It was centered about 1,280 miles (2,060 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It's moving west near 7 mph (13 kph), The Associated Press reports.

News agencies also report, at 11 p.m. ET, Fred was about 245 miles (390 km) south-southwest of the southernmost islands in the Cape Verde chain, according to the center. The storm was moving toward the west near 15 mph (24 km/hr).

"A gradual turn toward the west-northwest and northwest, with a slight decrease in forward speed, is expected over the next couple of days," forecasters said.

A forecast tracking map from the hurricane center shows Fred remaining in the eastern Atlantic through at least Saturday, tracking nearly due north by the weekend.

At 8 p.m. PT (11 p.m. ET), Linda was about 1,280 miles (2,060 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and was more than 1,800 miles (2,900 km) east of Hawaii.

With maximum sustained winds near 60 mph (95 km/hr), Linda could become a hurricane in the next day or two, the hurricane center said, but the storm was expected to dissipate into a tropical depression by Friday, CNN reports.

News 13 Meterologist Ali Turiano said Fred’s forecast track keeps it far away from Florida, and the storm is expected to turn northward in the open Atlantic by Thursday, Central Florida News 13 reports.