Brief: Tropical Storm Erin is likely to become a hurricane in the next 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center on Aug. 12.

Erin’s sustained winds increased to 70 mph, just 4 mph shy of hurricane strength. The hurricane center said Erin should continue to strengthen through the weekend, when it should be moving near or north of the Leeward Islands, according to the official forecast path.

In the Gulf, Invest 98L has a low chance for development, before it moves inland over northeastern Mexico or southern Texas by late Friday. The National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas, said regardless of tropical development, locally heavy rain and increased swells "will be a concern" along the Texas coast.