The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

An Atlantic disturbance now has a 50 percent chance of cyclone formation, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Erin's path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists.

Hurricane forecasters continued to track a tropical wave off the coast of Africa Sunday morning as Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm following an eyewall replacement cycle.

Erin is the fifth named storm to develop during the Atlantic hurricane season, which started just over two months ago. Last week, Tropical Storm Dexter formed in the western Atlantic but didn't pose a threat to land. In early July, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall on the Carolina coast, bringing deadly flooding to the region.

As Erin grows in size, rough ocean conditions will affect a large portion of the western Atlantic. Forecast products may currently underestimate the likelihood of strong winds beyond 36 hours, as Erin’s wind field is larger than the typical storm used to generate those estimates.

Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

A Gulf disturbance now has a 0% chance of becoming a tropical storm, but it could still  bring rain, high surf and deadly rip currents