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Tropical Storm Erika Continues To Strengthen

MIAMI, Fla. (WJZ) -- WJZ's First Warning Weather team is tracking Tropical Storm Erika.

Update, Aug. 28, 8:00 a.m.: Erika has winds around 52mph. She's currently moving west north west.  The greatest short-term threat posed by Erika continues to be very heavy rainfall over portions of the the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti today. These rains could produce flash floods and mud slides. Marty Bass reports.

Update, Aug. 27, 11:00 p.m.: Erika has winds around 46 mph. It's not a very well-formed storm. It may form into a Category 1 hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday somewhere on the east coast of Florida. At this point, it's just too early to tell where it's going to end up, Bob Turk reports.

Update, Aug. 27, 1:00 p.m.: Erika is now moving at 52 mph in the western direction. It'll go slightly north of Cuba and once she's in between Cuba and the Florida Keys it may turn into a category 1 hurricane, Marty Bass reports.

Update, Aug. 26, 1:00 p.m.: Chelsea Ingram reports Florida is now in the 'Cone of Uncertainty'.

Erika is expected to continue moving westward toward the Leeward Islands at 17 mph, reaching the central Bahamas by this weekend.

Update, Aug. 26, 8:14 a.m.: A hurricane hunter aircraft found that Erika is slightly stronger than initially forecasted.

Winds are at 45 mph and the storms is moving west at 17 mph.

It's still expected to turn into a category 1 hurricane by this weekend, Marty Bass reports, although he said it's hard to tell what will happen to the storm after Sunday -- after it hits the Gulf Stream.

Original Post, Aug. 25, 2015, 1:49 p.m. -- Tropical Storm Erika continues to strengthen and grow as it moves northwest with speeds of 45 mph.

The center of the storm is projected to be near the Leeward Islands by Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

"Erika is moving much faster than Danny did. The latest update has Erika moving west at 20mph," reports WJZ Meteorologist Chelsea Ingram. " Tropical Storm Erika has the potential to become a hurricane by this weekend as it moves into warmer waters. There is still a lot of uncertainty in the forecast and we will continue to fine-tune things throughout the week."

Erika is expected to strengthen in the next 48 hours.

Stay with WJZ-TV for your latest FIRST WARNING WEATHER update.

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