The second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season has finally formed. It’s been a long time since that forecasters have seen any tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean as the first Atlantic depression formed in late May. Tropical Depression 2 (TD2) formed at 6 a.m. EDT today, August 11 far in the eastern Atlantic Ocean about 280 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.

At 11 a.m. EDT, TD2 had sustained winds near 30 mph, and was moving west near 13 mph. It had moved about 70 miles west since its birth and was now located near 14.6 north and 29.6 west. TD2′s minim um central pressure is 1006 millibars. Data from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), an instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite, captured an infrared image of TD2 late on August 10 at 11:53 p.m. EDT.

NASA false-colors the AIRS infrared imagery to indicate the location of the highest clouds in a storm. In the AIRS imagery, purple coloration indicates the highest clouds, while blue coloration indicates lower clouds. The AIRS image indicated only the lower clouds in TD2. Those clouds however are still icy cold, about 240 Kelvin, or minus 27F.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., who forecasts storms in the Atlantic Ocean noted in their discussion today, Sea surface temperatures along the forecast track will be marginally warm…and the depression will have to endure some dry air in the mid-levels. Nonetheless, vertical [wind] shear is expected to be light enough during the first four days or so to allow some slow strengthening.

Residents on the Hawaiian Islands are bracing for Tropical Storm Felicia’s heavy rains and gusty winds today and the next couple of days as travels through the island chain. Large and dangerous ocean swells have already reached the main island, and will sweep into the rest of the state through today, August 11.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center noted that a tropical storm watch remains in effect today for Oahu and for all of Maui County…which includes the islands of Maui…Kahoolawe…Lanai…and Molokai. At 2 a.m. HST Felicia was still a tropical storm with sustained winds near 40 mph, and was closing into the Hawaiian Island chain.

Her center was located 190 miles east of Jahului, Hawaii and 280 miles east of Honolulu. That’s near latitude 20.8 north and longitude 153.5 west . Because tropical storm force winds extend 100 miles from her center, they’ll be felt, along with rains, long before her center approaches the islands.

She’s continuing to move westward near 10 mph and will start moving west-northwest over the next couple of days. Minimum central pressure is 1007 millibars. She’s expected to weaken late tonight into a depression.

GOES-11, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite provided infrared imagery of Felicia’s clouds at 8 a.m. EDT on August 11. It revealed that Felicia no longer has the circular shape- indicating a weakening storm. Felicia is expected to weaken to a depression late tonight, August 11.

GOES-11 is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and images are created by NASA’s GOES Project, located at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.