Topline
Tropical Storm Erin formed Monday and is expected to become a major hurricane as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center, though the potential risks to the U.S. remain unclear.
The tropical storm, which formed in the eastern Atlantic on Monday and is now west of the Cabo Verde Islands, has 45 mph maximum sustained winds.
The storm is forecast to form into a hurricane by early Friday morning and a major hurricane by Saturday, when the National Hurricane Center projects it to be located northeast of Puerto Rico.
It is expected to be a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds at that time.
The track after that is largely unclear, with forecasters noting the spread in model guidance increases “markedly” at the end of the five-day projection.
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Five, with Erin being the fifth. None have reached hurricane strength. However, Tropical Storm Chantal managed to directly hit the East Coast early last month, bringing flooding and tornadoes to the Carolinas, where at least six people died.
Hurricane Henriette formed in the Central Pacific Ocean on Sunday. The system is north of Hawaii and is expected to continue northward before weakening around Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its hurricane season forecast last week, forecasting the number of named storms this season to reach between 13 and 18. Of those storms, five to nine could become hurricanes and two to five could be major hurricanes. NOAA predicts a 50% chance for an above-normal season, a 35% chance of a near-normal season and a 15% chance of a below-normal season. An average season has 14 named storms. Outside of Tropical Storm Chantal’s deadly landfall in July, the U.S. has so far been spared of direct impacts this season. NOAA says warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean have contributed to its predictions for a busy hurricane season.
Prediction remains on track for above-normal Atlantic hurricane season (NOAA)