Erin gains strength in the open Atlantic late Thursday evening. CIRA/RAMMB/NOAA

Fifth time’s the charm? After an early summer lull, the Atlantic could soon have its first hurricane of the year: Erin .

Erin strengthened into a strong tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph on Thursday evening while over the open tropical Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm could bring some gusty winds, rain, rough surf and rip currents to parts of the far northeastern Caribbean as it slides just north of the islands this weekend.

Erin is tracking west-northwest on Friday morning, still hundreds of miles away from any land. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next few days as it cruises across the Atlantic and is expected to become a Category 4 hurricane b

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