Tropical Storm Erin Churns in Atlantic, But Expected To Lose Steam

Tropical Storm Erin continued to churn in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Friday morning, but is expected to decrease in speed and strength over the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In fact, Tropical Storm Erin in the Atlantic had already weakened to a tropical depression, according to AccuWeather.com, as it continues to slowly spin west-northwestward in the eastern Atlantic.

By the beginning of next week, Erin could experience more dry air, and should dissipate somewhere over the ocean, WPTV in Florida forecasted.

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The storm had sustained winds of 40 mph at 5 a.m. ET, and was headed west-northwest at 16 mph. It was centered about 430 miles west of the Cape Verde islands. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of tropical moisture moving into the Gulf of Mexico from the northern Yucatan Peninsula, and it could arrive later Friday. It has a medium, 50 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours.

On Thursday, media outlets reported that Erin had moved away from the Cape Verde Islands and had reached the far eastern Atlantic. The expectation then was that the storm would strengthen over the next two days.

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In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the Atlantic Ocean could experience as many as six major summer hurricanes more powerful than the devastating Super Storm Sandy.

Last week, Hurricane Henriette became the strongest storm of the season, with 90-mph winds blowing across the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii.