Tropical Storm Colin Put off US Atlantic Seaboard

Tropical Storm has formed far out in the Atlantic but early forecasts put it on a track off the U.S. Atlantic seaboard rather than into the Gulf of Mexico, where BP is working to finally plug its blown-out oil well.

Photo: Tropical Storm Colin Put off US Atlantic Seaboard

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph (65 kph) early Tuesday and some additional strengthening is expected, The Associated Press reports.

The tropical storm was named Colin, and it was churning in the Atlantic Ocean, about 945 miles east of the Lesser Antilles islands, the center said.

Tropical Storm Colin had maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph, the hurricane center said in its 5 a.m. ET advisory.

Tracking maps show the storm system turning northwest in the Atlantic in the next couple days but did not show the system hitting land, according to CNN.