On Monday at 5:10 p.m. the NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued a tropical cyclone statement in effect until Tuesday at 1:15 a.m. The statement is for East Carteret, Northern Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island and Hatteras Island.

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

A hurricane's category only measures wind speed, not how far those winds extend from the center. The size of a storm's wind field is crucial for predicting storm surge and overall reach.

The NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued a tropical storm watch at 4:50 p.m. on Monday in effect until Tuesday at 2 a.m. for Hatteras Island.

A tropical wave producing showers and thunderstorms is headed west-northwest across the tropical Atlantic. The system, which is currently moving along the eastern Atlantic, is expected to approach the Leeward Islands by the end of the week and could develop into a tropical cyclone.

Tropical Storm Erin -- which is forecast to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season by Saturday morning -- won't have a direct impact on the U.S., but it will bring dangerous rip currents to the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin strengthened into a Category 4 storm as U.S. officials warned of dangerous rip currents expected this week.

A tropical disturbance along the Gulf could develop into a depression before moving into South Texas and northeastern Mexico Friday evening. Any development into a depression would likely be "short-lived," the National Weather Service said.