The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said today that a tropical depression is likely to form south of Hawaii by this weekend, but it is expected to move away from the islands.

Forecasters said “showers and thunderstorms associated with a low level circulation center” about 500 miles south-southeast of Hilo continues to become better organized. “A tropical depression is likely to form later today or on Saturday while the system moves west at about 15 mph, away from the islands of Hawaii,” they said this afternoon.

If the system strengthens into a tropical storm, it will be given the name of Walaka, which is Hawaiian for Walter. It would be the first tropical cyclone to form in the Central Pacific this hurricane season. Tropical cyclones that form in the Central Pacific are given Hawaiian names.

Hurricane center officials said the chances that it will form into a tropical cyclone at 80 percent over the next two days. The storm could send higher surf to the islands from the south next week.