Tropical Storm Erin formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, forecasters said. The storm was expected to strengthen later in the week and could become the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season.

The National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory on the fifth-named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season at 11 a.m., warning Erin could become a hurricane by Wednesday, Aug. 13 and a major hurricane by Saturday, Aug. 16, as it moves quickly west across the Atlantic.

The tropical storm was last tracked past the Cabo Verde Islands off Africa's west coast, according to AccuWeather.