MIAMI, Florida (CMC) – Residents of the northern Leeward Islands are monitoring the passage of Tropical Storm Erin, which formed Monday west of the Cabo Verde Islands and could strengthen to become the Atlantic’s first hurricane of the 2025 season.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm is located 2, 305 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds at 45 miles per hour (mph).

While there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the NHC said that the centre of Tropical Storm Erin was located near latitude 17.4 North, longitude 28.0 West and that Erin is moving toward the west near 20 mph .

It said the storm is expected to continue on this motion for the next several days and that earlier satellite wind data indicated that gradual strengthening is forecast over the next several days.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles.

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.