Tropical Storm Bret has formed in the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds around 40 mph.
The storm is moving west at 18 mph and National Hurricane Center forecasters said it is expected to intensify to a minimal category one hurricane by Wednesday night.
However, they added that Bret may lose hurricane status by the weekend, as it encounters wind shear and drier air on its approach to the Caribbean.
People in the the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were cautioned to watch the storm closely and NWS NHC meteorologists said risks in those areas could include flooding from heavy rainfall, strong winds, and dangerous storm surge and waves.