Tropical Storm Erika Headed For Eastern Caribbean

Tropical storm watches were issued early Tuesday as Erika, the fifth named storm of the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season, moved towards the Eastern Caribbean, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The tropical storm is likely to strengthen slowly, and could reach hurricane status over the Bahamas by the weekend, NHC said, though forecasters say its track is still unclear.

Erika formed on Monday and could pose a threat to the U.S. East Coast early next week if it manages to fight off dry air and wind shear, which are unfavorable for storm strengthening, according to Jeff Masters with the private forecaster, Weather Underground.

"However, Erika’s survival over the next few days is not a sure thing," he wrote in a blog post.

The storm was located about 730 miles (1,170 km) east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 kph). It was expected to near land by Wednesday night and early Thursday, the Miami-based hurricane center said in a Tuesday morning advisory.



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http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/25/us-storm-erika-idINKCN0QU0VR20150825