Tropical Depression Thirteen was upgraded to a tropical storm Friday morning, receiving the name Laura.
As of 11 AM, Laura’s winds were around 45 mph, centered 210 east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands. It was moving west at 18 mph.
Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Anguilla.
On the forecast track the center of Laura will move near or over the northern Leeward Islands later today.
Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km) from the center.
The minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft observations is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).
