ORLANDO, Fla. _ Tropical Storm Jerry spurred new tropical storm watches for parts of the Leeward Islands as it continued strengthening Wednesday, with the expectation of becoming a hurricane by Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday evening.
Jerry's maximum sustained winds increased to 60 mph Wednesday afternoon as it moved west-northwest at 15 mph, the NHC said. The system will be considered a Category 1 hurricane when the winds begin blowing at 74 mph.
The system was about 715 miles east of the Leeward Islands as of Wednesday evening.
"On the forecast track, the center of Jerry will be near or north of the northern Leeward Islands Friday and pass north of Puerto Rico on Saturday," the NHC said.
With the 8 p.m. EDT update, Antigua and Barbuda were issued a Tropical Storm Watch. St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius are also under a Tropical Storm Watch.
Jerry's tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 45 miles from the center.
The storm's "general motion is expected to continue during the next 3 to 4 days. Afterward, a northwest to north-northwestward turn ... is expected," the hurricane center said in its discussion about the storm.
In Texas, Tropical Depression Imelda 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.
