The Latest: New tropical depression forms in Atlantic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Latest on tropical weather in the Atlantic Ocean (all times local):

5 p.m.

A new tropical depression has formed in the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the United States but isn’t expected to threaten the U.S. East Coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reports Monday that the storm is about 295 miles (480 kilometres) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 kph). It is moving east at 2 miles per hour (4 kph).

The centre says Tropical Depression Six is expected to become a tropical storm Monday night or Tuesday but will remain “well east” of the East Coast.

8:45 a.m.

Much of the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados shut down on Monday as Tropical Storm Dorian approached the region and gathered strength, threatening to turn into a small hurricane that forecasters said could affect Puerto Rico and its neighbours later in the week.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley closed schools and government offices across Barbados as she warned people to remain indoors.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It also issued a tropical storm watch for Dominica, Martinique, Grenada, Saba and St. Eustatius. The storm was expected to dump between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimetres) of rain in Barbados and nearby islands, with isolated amounts of 6 inches (15 centimetres).