Tropical Storm Erika Continues on Westward Path

BY SHERRI LONON

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 730 miles east of the Leeward Islands as of late Tuesday morning. 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 45 mph as of Tuesday morning, Erika is expected to strengthen some over the next few days to become the season’s second hurricane.

Danny, the once Category 3 hurricane, the first of the 2015 season, fizzled out Monday. A third storm, however, is also under watch. The tropical wave was located just west of the Cape Verde Islands Tuesday. The storm is not anticipated to develop further in the next five days, but forecasters are keeping an eye on it as it moves slowly westward.

While neither storm poses an immediate threat to the United States, forecasters are keeping a close eye on development.

Meanwhile, Long Island may see some scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday, but then the rest of the week looks gorgeous with sunny skies and highs in the low-80s.

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