Tropical Storm Epsilon expected to become Cat. 1 hurricane

Miami — After a few quiet weeks in the tropics, Tropical Storm Epsilon formed southeast of Bermuda on Monday.

Epsilon could become a Category 1 hurricane within the next 72 hours, with Bermuda in the forecast cone. The storm is currently 730 miles southeast of Bermuda.

“We do expect it to intensify and the forward motion increase,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze.

As of the 11 p.m. advisory on Monday, the storm is moving 2 mph with 45 mph winds.

Currently, the U.S. is expected to see indirect impacts only, with rip currents possible along the coast by the end of the week.

One other area to watch is a low pressure system that could form over the western Caribbean Sea later this week. The system currently has a low chance of developing.

The storm is the 26th named storm of the season and the fifth Greek named story of the season.