Tropical Storm Erin Forms in Atlantic, Could Strengthen into Major Hurricane

Tropical Storm Erin has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm developed off the western coast of Africa and is expected to continue moving west toward the Americas. As of 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11, Erin had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was traveling west at 20 mph. At that time, the storm was located a couple thousand miles from the United States.

Forecasters anticipate that Erin will continue to strengthen over the coming days. It could reach major hurricane status by Saturday morning, with maximum sustained winds around 110 mph.

If Erin were to impact the United States, it would likely not occur until early next week. However, given the storm’s current distance, it remains uncertain which areas—if any—could be affected.