Update: Tropical Storm Gonzalo nears Leeward Islands; Hurricane Watch for Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico

Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as Tropical Storm Gonzalo strengthens in the Atlantic Ocean just east of the Leeward Islands. Tropical Storm Gonzalo, the seventh named storm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, formed early Sunday afternoon.

Gonzalo is moving toward the west at 10 to 15 mph, and is expected to steadily gain strength over the next few days. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands.

Tropical storm warnings are also in effect for islands as far south as Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. Gonzalo will spread showers with gusts of tropical storm force across the Leeward Islands through Monday, then into the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico later Monday into Tuesday.

Gonzalo may near hurricane strength by time it reaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Gonzalo is then expected to curl toward the northwest, then north around the periphery of subtropical high pressure in the central Atlantic Ocean.

A later such turn may place parts of the southeast Bahamas and Hispaniola in a risk of more significant impact by mid-week. Gonzalo is expected to be a hurricane by the time it begins its northwest curl.

It is not clear yet whether future Gonzalo will threaten Bermuda next weekend. All interests from the Leeward Islands to Hispaniola, the southeast Bahamas and Bermuda should monitor closely the progress of this system.

At this time, this system poses no threat to the mainland United States.

Below are the latest status maps, forecast maps, watch/warning maps, and satellite imagery.

Current Information

So, where exactly is Gonzalo's center located now? If you're plotting the storm along with us, the information depicted in the map above provides the latitude/longitude coordinates, distance away from the nearest land location, maximum sustained winds and central pressure (measured in millibars).

(FORECASTS: San Juan | St. Thomas | St. Croix )