Tropical depression may form in Atlantic near Africa

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A strong tropical wave over the extreme eastern Atlantic Ocean about 330 miles southeast of the Cape Verde Islands has the potential to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days as it moves westward at 15 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a report.

The NHC said the system was "gradually becoming better organized .. environmental conditions appear conducive for further development."

The weather models, however, showed the system remaining far away from land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean over the next five days or so.

AccuWeather.com said the wave could become a tropical depression or storm over the next 24 to 48 hours.

It also pointed to five other waves in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea but said they hadn't yet showed signs of organization.

The other waves were located near Central America, near the coast of Venezuela, north of French Guiana, north of eastern Brazil and between Brazil and West Africa.

Natural gas traders were eyeing the wave to see if it strengthened further. Energy traders typically track storms that could enter the Gulf of Mexico and threaten U.S. oil and gas production facilities, after storms in the summer of 2005 knocked out key infrastructure and sent crude prices to then-record highs.

Commodities traders also watch storms that could affect agricultural crops like citrus and cotton in Florida and other states along the Gulf Coast.

The NHC will name the next Atlantic tropical storm Bertha.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by John Picinich)