Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma last week may get another hurricane by Monday, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Saturday.
A system about 755 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles was expected to become a tropical storm Saturday as it heads west at a quick 22 mph. Forecasters expect the storm _ Maria is the next name up _ to become a Category 1 hurricane in the next few days.
Tropical storm watches have been issued for St. Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Dominica.
The system does not yet have an eye, making it hard to predict what track it will take, forecasters said. The current track moves it across the Leeward Islands in three days, and then near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico _ which are also recovering from Hurricane Irma _ in about five days.
Forecasters expect the system to gradually strengthen and warned that hurricane conditions and heavy rain could hit the Lesser Antilles early next week.
Tropical Storm Lee has also formed farther east in the Atlantic, forecasters said. But the storm poses no threat to land and is likely to fizzle in five days.
