Tropical Storm Erin likely to become Atlantic season's first hurricane
- - Tropical Storm Erin likely to become Atlantic season's first hurricane
Alex Sundby August 13, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Forecasters say Tropical Storm Erin, which formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, is expected to become the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season.
The storm formed just west of the Cabo Verde islands, off the western coast of Africa, and was moving west, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
Early models showed that the storm was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by the time it nears the Caribbean islands toward the end of the week. It doesn't pose an immediate threat to the U.S., but there is uncertainty about its longer-term path.
Maps show Tropical Storm Erin's projected path
As of Wednesday evening, the center of Erin was about 1,200 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands in the West Indies with maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph, and it was moving westward at about 17 mph, according to the hurricane center.
Forecasters said the storm was expected to gradually gain strength during the next couple of days and become a hurricane by Friday. The center of the storm would likely move near or north of the northern Leewards over the weekend.
The northern Leewards are a string of islands stretching from the Virgin Islands to Guadeloupe, including Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, Antigua and Barbuda, and several others.
A map shows the projected path of Tropical Storm Erin as of Aug. 13, 2025. / Credit: CBS News
Drone video footage posted to social media showed the aftermath of flooding from the storm in Cabo Verde, a group of islands about 385 miles off the African coast. Local media reported at least eight people were killed, and officials declared a state of emergency as crews dealt with the damage.
There's uncertainty about where Erin goes after this week, but most models show the storm pivoting to the northwest and north, CBS News Miami meteorologist Shane Hinton reported.
Erin is the fifth named storm to develop during the Atlantic hurricane season, which started just over two months ago. Last week, Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the western Atlantic but didn't pose a threat to land. In early July, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall on the Carolina coast, bringing deadly flooding to the region.
The Atlantic hurricane season started in June and runs through November, with its peak months being August, September and October.
A graph from Aug. 11, 2025, shows when tropical cyclones have been active in the Atlantic Ocean from 1851 to 2018. / Credit: CBS News
The Pacific Ocean has already seen six hurricanes this year, including Henriette, which weakened to a tropical storm Tuesday and was not expected to hit land.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, predicted an above-normal 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.
A tropical cyclone becomes a tropical storm when its maximum sustained wind speeds reach at least 39 mph. Hurricanes are more powerful with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Hurricanes are rated on a scale ranging from Category 1 to Category 5, which is the most severe rating. A storm is considered to be a major hurricane when it reaches Category 3 strength with sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
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Tropical Storm Erin expected to become a major hurricane
Could Tropical Storm Erin become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025?
Source: “AOL General News”
