Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

Erin is the fifth named storm to develop during the Atlantic hurricane season, which started just over two months ago. Last week, Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the western Atlantic but didn't pose a threat to land. In early July, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall on the Carolina coast, bringing deadly flooding to the region.

Erin is currently packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 997 mb and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 90 miles from its center. The storm is expected to steadily strengthen and could become a major hurricane by this weekend – Cat. 4 by Sunday.

Hurricane Erin, the first of the 2025 Atlantic season, is forecast to become a major storm this weekend, bringing heavy rain, flooding risk, and dangerous surf to parts of the Caribbean and western Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Erin is approaching Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides

Hurricane Erin continues to rapidly intensify in the Atlantic Ocean with its outer bands starting to impact the northern Leeward Islands.

Tropical Storm Erin is expected to become a hurricane on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of the 5 p.m. advisory, Erin was located about 890 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph with a minimum central pressure of 998 mb.

Tropical Storm Erin is gaining strength in the central Atlantic and could become the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season by Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. At 11 AM AST (1500 UTC) on Tuesday,