Warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Erika churned closer to the Caribbean. Forecasters said Florida was in its possible path.
Forecasters said Erika could be a low-grade hurricane by the time it reaches or brushes close to Florida on Monday. But they stressed that it was too early to predict the storm’s path or intensity with much certainty.
It was the first time in three years that Florida was in what meteorologists call the “cone of uncertainty” for a tropical storm, The Weather Channel reported.
At 8 a.m. ET, Erika was 335 miles east of the island of Antigua, with wind of 45 mph.
The projected path of Erika takes it over Puerto Rico late Thursday or early Friday, and over Haiti and the Dominican Republic later Friday. The storm is expected to curve slightly northeast, over the waters between Cuba and the Bahamas, by Sunday morning.