MIAMI, July 12 (UPI) -- A record fifth tropical storm developed in the Atlantic Ocean early Tuesday, as Tropical Storm Emily headed for the eastern Caribbean with 45 mph winds.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted Emily would gradually turn toward the west-northwest and pick up speed later Tuesday.
At 5 a.m. EDT, Emily was located about 845 miles east of the Windward Islands, tracking to the west at 15 mph, still about two days away from the Caribbean islands.
Never since record keeping began in 1851 have there been five such storms so early in the hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Meanwhile Hurricane Dennis, which struck Florida near Pensacola Sunday, had weakened to a soggy tropical depression dumping rain near Paducah, Ky., CNN reported.
The storm was blamed for four deaths in Florida, and 11 in Haiti. Monday night, Cuban leader Fidel Castro said in a televised address 16 Cubans died during Hurricane Dennis, and that 15,000 homes had been completely destroyed.
