Tropical Storm Erin Forms on Path to Becoming Major Hurricane

Tropical Storm Erin has formed west of the Cabo Verde Islands near Africa, threatening to become a major hurricane in the Caribbean later this week.

With top winds of 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour, Erin was moving west at about 20 mph, the US National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. New York time advisory. It’s the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Erin will likely grow into a Category 3 major hurricane with winds of at least 111 mph in five days as it crosses the Atlantic, the hurricane center said. Though close to Cabo Verde, the storm is moving away from the islands and is far from making landfall in the Caribbean.

The current hurricane center track, which will likely change over time, has it drifting north of the Leeward Islands by this weekend. The fifth named storm usually arrives in the Atlantic by August 22.