Tropical Storm Erin has formed in the eastern Atlantic just west of the Cabo Verde Islands.
The system is expected to intensify rapidly and become a hurricane, the season’s first, later this week. It could become a major hurricane shortly thereafter. According to AccuWeather forecasters, Erin will be a long-track storm and will eye the U.S. next week, though it’s still too early to tell where it will go with any certainty.
The average date for the first hurricane of each season is Aug. 11, but the first major hurricane typically does not occur until on or after Sept. 1.
According to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill, several factors are working in the system’s favor, including warm water and a lack of wind shear.
