Just a quick glance of the visible satellite photo from the central Atlantic, and you can make out a circular pattern in the clouds associated with the circulation of Tropical Depression #9.   The center of that circulation was about 580miles to the east of the Lesser Antilles at 11am. A general westward track is expected during the next several days, which will take the system across the northern Caribbean, passing near the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Saturday.

Visible Satellite of Tropical Depression #9 on August 21, 2012

Hurricane hunter aircraft is scheduled to fly into the circulation this afternoon and we will likely have Tropical Storm Isaac by the end of the day.  Large thunderstorms around the center continue to flare up and that will help to strengthen the system as it approaches the island of Guadeloupe in the Eastern Caribbean.  Beyond the weekend, there are some indications that Isaac could turn more northwest and affect the Southeast United States, perhaps Florida.  While this is almost a week away, everyone on the East Coast of the United States should watch Isaac closely. 

Tropical Depression #9 Forecasted Track. The system is expected to be named Isaac with a little more intensification.