Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

As of Thursday afternoon, Barbuda, Antigua, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Sint Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius and under a tropical storm watch, meaning they could see tropical-storm strength winds in the next few days.

The National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast keeps the storm north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but forecasters expect the islands to see heavy rain, intense waves and even tropical-storm force winds as the large storm passes by this weekend.

As for Florida, the forecast still calls for a curve north, keeping the worst of Erin’s impacts offshore. Long-ra

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