By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WITH Tropical Storm Erin expected to become a major hurricane by the end of the week, local forecasters say they are closely monitoring the system amid uncertainty about its track.

Weather experts say the storm, which formed early Monday morning and is moving west in the Atlantic, could become the season’s first hurricane.

Members of the public were urged to start preparing in case the storm affects the country by Jeffrey Simmons, acting director of the Bahamas Department of Meteorology.

“Thursday, Friday, we’ll have a better idea of how The Bahamas will be impacted, if we will be at all – around that time,” he said. 

“But it will be a major hurricane by the end of the week.”

Meanwhile, the Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRM) said yesterday it is too early to predict the storm’s impact, but that it is closely monitoring the system.

Mr Simmons added that while the storm will strengthen over time, it is not expected to undergo rapid intensification.

“It’s in the eastern Atlantic at this time. So it’s still a good distance off. It’s still at least about, if you’re looking at the southern Bahamas, I would say it’s about about 10 days out and that’s rather long.”

Officials’ attention on the system comes amid expectation of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.

Colorado State University forecasts 17 named storms this year, including eight hurricanes, with four potentially becoming major hurricanes. This is a slight decrease from its 2024 forecast of 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes.

AccuWeather offers a similar outlook, predicting 13 to 18 named storms, seven to ten hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30.