New tropical depression, Omar form in Caribbean

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new tropical storm and a tropical depression formed early Tuesday in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) report.

Newly formed Tropical Storm Omar was located in the eastern Caribbean, moving east-southeast before an expected turn to the northeast later Tuesday.

Omar's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph, with gradual strengthening forecast over the next 48 hours.

Computer models showed Omar eventually tracking northeast across the Caribbean and into the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression 16, located in the western Caribbean near the Nicaragua/Honduras border, was moving northwest at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds near 30 mph, but the system could become Tropical Storm Paloma on Wednesday, NHC said.

Most computer forecast tracks showed Tropical Depression 16 moving in a westerly direction across Honduras on Thursday.

Neither system was expected to threaten key oil and natural gas producing areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

(Reporting by Joe Silha; editing by John Picinich)