 The origins of Hurricane Maria can be traced back to a tropical wave — an elongated area of low pressure oriented north to south — that moved westward from Nigeria to Senegal on September 1. The wave entered the eastern tropical Atlantic early the following day and slowly strengthened. By September 6, it had developed a sufficient amount of convection to be designated as Tropical Depression Fourteen, while it was about 700 mi (1100 km) west-southwest of the southern Cape Verde Islands. By this time, it had also developed well-established outflow within the western semicircle of the low-pressure center. The depression continued to increase in strength, and it was upgraded to a tropical storm six hours after formation, receiving the name Maria.
