ORLANDO, Fla. _ Tropical Storm Jerry is gaining strength and is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. update.
Jerry has maximum sustaining winds of 70 mph and is moving northwest at 16 mph. It is expected to be near or north of the northern Leeward Islands on Friday and should pass north of Puerto Rico Saturday, the NHC said.
"Jerry is expected to strengthen further in the short term and become a hurricane later today," the NHC said. "Afterward, the statistical-dynamical intensity models show some moderate northwesterly shear impinging on the northern half of the cyclone, which should arrest the early period intensification."
The storm is 525 miles away from the Leeward Islands.
Models show Jerry is expected to skirt by the Caribbean as it is pulled north by forces from Hurricane Humberto.
As of the 8 a.m. update St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba, St. Eustatius, Anguilla and Barbuda were under a tropical storm watch.
Jerry's tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 45 miles from the center.
Meteorologists are keeping their eyes on a number of tropical systems, including Tropical Depression Imelda, which is moving slowly northeast as it dumps heavy rain and causes significant flash flooding over the southeast part of the state.
Similar conditions are expected in that area and in southwest Louisiana during the next couple of days.
There are also two tropical waves that forecasters are observing for development.
The first is located 1,000 miles off of the Cabo Verde Islands, the NHC said. The system has a 30% chance of tropical development over the next five days as it moves toward the Windward Islands.
The second is what the NHC is describing as "an elongated area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave" and is located just south of the Dominican Republic. It has a 10% chance of development in the next two to five days.
However, the wave is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the Dominican Republic and Haiti Friday and Saturday, the NHC said.
