Tropical Storm Erin has formed in the eastern tropical Atlantic, just west of the Cabo Verde Islands, marking the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Erin developed from a cluster of showers and thunderstorms that originated near the African coast last week and has since become increasingly organized. Currently, the storm is bringing locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the Cabo Verde Islands as it moves westward across the Atlantic Ocean.

Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Erin to continue strengthening and likely become the first hurricane of the 2025 season later this week. Several favorable conditions are aiding its development, including warm sea surface temperatures, a lack of disruptive wind shear, and minimal dust in the atmosphere. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Erin’s sustained winds have reached 40 mph, officially classifying it as a tropical storm, and further intensification toward hurricane status, which requires sustained winds of at least 74 mph, is anticipated.

Erin is forecast to track primarily westward through much of this week, moving away from land and passing to the northeast of the Caribbean islands by the weekend. As the week progresses, meteorologists expect the storm to turn northward due to evolving upper-level atmospheric patterns. While the exact trajectory after this turn remains uncertain, current forecasts indicate a low likelihood of direct impacts on the U.S. East Coast. Despite this, coastal regions should remain alert for possible indirect effects such as increased surf and rip currents, which could reach the East Coast beaches by late weekend or early next week.

In addition to Erin, meteorologists are monitoring other tropical disturbances in the Atlantic basin. One is a trough of low pressure in the central Atlantic with some potential for tropical development midweek, and another is a non-tropical low near Nova Scotia drifting over warm Gulf Stream waters with slight chances of subtropical formation. These disturbances currently have low chances of becoming tropical storms within the next few days. Overall, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be above normal, with projections of 13 to 19 named storms and up to 10 hurricanes, signifying an active period that calls for readiness and continued monitoring.