Tropical Storm Erin gaining strength

MIAMI, CMC -Tropical  Storm Erin is expected to begin strengthening soon and is likely to become a hurricane later this week, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Tuesday.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC said that Erin, which could become the  Atlantic’s first hurricane of the 2025 season,  is located about 1,890 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (mph).

The NHC said that while there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the center of Tropical Storm Erin was located near latitude 17.4 North, longitude 34.3 West.  It said Erin is moving toward the west near 22 mph, and on this motion is expected to continue for the next several days with a decrease in forward speed and a gradual turn toward the west-northwest.

“Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast over the next several days, and Erin is expected to become a hurricane in the next couple of days,” the NHC said, adding that tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the centre.

Forecasters have predicted an above normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year, with an expected number of named storms between 13 and 18, five to nine of which could become hurricanes.