Erin is on the verge of becoming the Atlantic season’s first hurricane. The storm had winds of 70 mph early Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Category 1 hurricane wind speeds, which start at 74 mph, are predicted to soon develop.

Tropical Storm Erin is nearly at hurricane strength Thursday night, its western path putting islands in the far eastern Caribbean under tropical storm watches, according to the National Hurricane

Erin’s sustained winds increased to 70 mph, just 4 mph shy of hurricane strength. The hurricane center said Erin should continue to strengthen through the weekend, when it should be moving near or north of the Leeward Islands, according to the official forecast path.