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A tropical storm churning in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa could become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season.

Federal forecasters expect Tropical Storm Erin, currently located around 820 miles west of Cape Verde, to strengthen over the next several days and say it could become a hurricane by late Thursday.

At least eight people were killed on the Cape Verde island of Sao Vicente following severe storms, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Cape Verde President Jose Maria Pereira Neves said in a Facebook post Monday that heavy rains had caused fatalities and property damage on the island.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm will cross warm ocean water and grow in strength as it glides quickly westward toward the Caribbean, eventually slowing down and making a gradual west-northwest turn.

Tropical Storm Erin currently has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, with tropical storm-force winds extending out from its center as far as 35 miles.

The NHC warned that the likelihood had increased for the storm to move closer to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands, but forecasters say it’s still too early to know what the effects might be. Erin may also impact parts of the east coast of the U.S., Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles next week, the NHC added.

Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with somewhere between 13-19 named storms between June 1 and November 30.

NOAA said there were a number of factors making it easier for tropical storms to form this year, such as warmer ocean temperatures and weak wind shear.

Climate change is driving up sea surface temperatures and making hurricanes more intense, causing more severe flooding, stronger winds and heavier rainfall.