The chances of a cyclone forming behind Hurricane Erin have increased to 70 percent through the next seven days, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

NHC Map

“Shower and thunderstorm activity has become a bit more concentrated in association with a tropical wave located a few hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands,” the agency said in an early-morning update on Thursday.

“Environmental conditions appear conducive for further development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form this weekend while it moves near or to the north of the northern Leeward Islands.”

If the system were to strengthen further into a tropical storm, it would be named Fernand.

“FOX Model likes the idea of at least Tropical Storm Fernand (fair-NAHN) early next week,” Noah Bergren, weekend senior meteorologist at Fox 35 Orlando said in a Wednesday post on X.