Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

Invest 98L, the tropical system that emerged near Mexico early Wednesday, Aug. 13, is tracking toward Texas. Will it impact the state?

A Gulf disturbance has a low chance of becoming a tropical storm, but it could bring rain, high surf and deadly rip currents to the Texas coast.

Tropical Storm Erin is expected to strengthen to a hurricane and could bring rough surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore next week.

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.

Extreme rainfall in New Zealand from future cyclones could rise by up to 35%. New high-resolution modeling predicts that rainfall from tropical cyclones will significantly increase under global warming.

The black rainstorm signal was raised at 7:50am on Thursday, as Tropical Cyclone Podul closed in. It is the fifth time the signal has been hoisted in a fortnight. The T1 storm signal has remained in force since Wednesday morning.