Miami ? A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Karen early Tuesday in the open Atlantic Ocean, where it posed no immediate threat to land, and a new tropical depression formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

At 10 p.m. CDT, Karen was centered about 1,355 miles east of the Windward Islands, with top sustained winds near 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph and was expected to continue this motion over the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from Karen’s center. On its current course, it is expected to hit two troughs, though forecasters are unsure how they will affect Karen.