(CNS): Tropical Storm Bret, which formed Sunday afternoon in the middle of the Atlantic, is forecast to become a hurricane over the next few days as it rolls towards the Caribbean. Bret is currently about 1,130 miles east of the Southern Windward Islands, moving west at around 17mph, with winds of around 40mph. The US National Hurricane Center predicts that Bret will be a hurricane by Thursday.

Forecasters from the NHC said there is considerable uncertainty about the track Bret is likely to take as it approaches the region. Earlier today, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service said the storm posed no immediate threat to Cayman, but the forecast path indicates that this could change over the coming days.

Meanwhile, an area of showers and thunderstorms not far behind Bret, several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, is gradually showing signs of organisation. The NHC said environmental conditions appear conducive for further development, with a tropical depression likely to emerge over the next few days.

Just three weeks into the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Tropical Storm Bret is the second storm to form — Tropical Storm Arlene was a short-lived system that formed on 2 June. Bret will be the first hurricane if it continues to strengthen as expected.