MIAMI – A tropical depression formed Sunday in the distant Atlantic Ocean and was expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Florence by early Monday. It will not pose a threat to land for many days, if ever.

“The forecast at day five still has it out in the open ocean, fairly far to the northeast of the Virgin Islands,” said Chris Sisko, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center. “In a few days, we’ll have a better feel for it, but right now, it just bears watching.”

At the same time, the system is expected to become a hurricane by Thursday.

“It’s in a fairly decent environment for strengthening,” Sisko said.

The system is the sixth tropical depression of the year and is likely to become the fifth tropical storm and second hurricane.

On Sunday night, though, it was still 1,525 miles on the other side of the Caribbean islands and 2,685 miles from South Florida.

Storms in that area often turn northward long before they reach the U.S. mainland. Forecasters said Floridians should not be concerned about it at the moment.

“It’s way out there,” Sisko said.