a tropical wave crossed the west coast of africa and entered into the atlantic ocean on october 3. it quickly acquired a low-level circulation and by the following day, it developed into tropical depression eighteen. under the influence of deep easterlies, the storm tracked west-northwest and westward across the southern portions of the atlantic ocean. at 12:00 utc on october 5, the depression strengthened into tropical storm pablo. after becoming a tropical storm, pablo developed well-defined outflow and the possibility of it strengthening into a hurricane seemed likely.