Florida on Tropical Storm Erika's Radar

Tropical Storm Erika is picking up where Hurricane Danny left off.

The newly formed cyclone is the fifth named storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season. It was centered about 600 miles east of Antigua as of Tuesday evening. The storm is moving west at an estimated 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. A shift in movement to the west-northwest and a decrease in forward speed is anticipated over the next 48 hours.

With maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, Erika is expected to strengthen some over the next few days to become the season’s second hurricane.

While it remains unclear just what path Erika will ultimately take, current projections show the storm nearing Florida by Sunday.

Danny, the once Category 3 hurricane, the first of the 2015 season, fizzled out Monday. A wave being watched near the Cape Verde Islands also fizzled out by Tuesday evening. Another storm, however, has cropped up near Puerto Rico. That disturbance has a 0 percent chance of forming over the next few days, but it being monitored closely.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay area residents are in for a few steamy days ahead. The high Tuesday is expected to climb to about 94 degrees with a 20 percent chance of rain forecast. Wednesday is expected to be slightly cooler with a 30 percent chance of afternoon storms.

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Graphic and photo courtesy of the National Weather Service