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.

Hurricane Erin briefly strengthened into a Category 5 storm. It is not expected to make a direct hit on the U.S. but will create dangerous surf.

As of the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. advisory, the center of Erin was located about 115 miles north-northeast of Grand Turk Island and 890 miles