Tropical Storm Lee has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and is forecast to become a major hurricane as it approaches the Caribbean.
The storm was located some 2100km east of the Lesser Antilles on Tuesday afternoon. It had maximum sustained winds of 75km/h and was moving west-northwest at 25km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
It was forecast to strengthen into an "extremely dangerous" hurricane by Friday as it moves over very warm waters and pass just northeast of the Caribbean region, the centre said.
Preliminary forecasts are not predicting any landfall, although the centre warned that "it is too early to determine exactly how close this system will be to the Leeward Islands".
Lee is the twelfth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
In August, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration updated its forecast and warned that this year's hurricane season would be above normal. Between 14 to 21 named storms are forecast. Of those, six to 11 could become hurricanes, with two to five of them possibly becoming major hurricanes.
In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Jova continued strengthening well off the southwest coast of Mexico, but posed no threat to land.
Jova had 100km/h winds and was forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
It was about 1100km/h south of the southern tip of Baja California and moving west-northwest at 15km/h.
Australian Associated Press
