Tropical Storm Erin sputtered in the open waters of the eastern Atlantic when it was wrapped in a veil of dry, dusty air from the Sahara, which limited the storm’s ability to strengthen. But it’s still set to become a hurricane by the weekend,

The air feels tropical in North Carolina, but tropical activity is ramping up in the Atlantic Ocean were Erin may become a hurricane. Erin may also could impact the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico depending on how far north the storm tracks.