TORONTO – The fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has formed in the west Atlantic Ocean and may soon impact large parts of the Caribbean.
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Tropical Storm Erika formed on Monday afternoon about 1,200 km east of the Leeward Islands of the West Indies.
Erika has maximum sustained winds of about 75 km/h with higher gusts. The storm is moving westward quite quickly at 31 km/h, but is expected to move west northwestward over the next 48 hours.
Tropical storm watches are already in effect for several islands in the region including Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Maarten.
Erika could reach hurricane status by the weekend where it is expected to be near Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
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