As of the latest update, issued at 4 a.m. CDT Thursday, Tropical Storm Erin was located about 990 miles east of the Leeward Islands and was on a path to the west at 17 mph. (The next update will come later this morning, and updates will become more frequent once watches and warnings go into effect for the storm.)

Tropical Storm Erin is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said on Thursday, Aug. 14.

Tropical Storm Erin continues its westward path across the Atlantic, expected to become a hurricane Aug. 15, and a major hurricane by Sunday morning.