MIAMI, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Dean gained strength Thursday to become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2007 as it headed for the Caribbean.
At 11 p.m. EDT, Dean was 160 miles east-southeast of Martinique and 80 miles northwest of Barbados, moving west at 25 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported. Winds near the center were almost 100 mph, making Dean a Category 2 hurricane.
Hurricane warnings were in effect for Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Lucia. Tropical storm warnings and watches were in effect for many other Caribbean islands, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Forecasters said officials in the central Caribbean -- including Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic -- should monitor the hurricane closely.
If Dean remains on its predicted path, it could hit the Yucatan Peninsula early next week.
