Tropical Storm Chris approaches eastern Caribbean

The Bahamas has issued a hurricane watch Wednesday for the Turks and Caicos islands and southeastern Bahamas, as Tropical Storm Chris continues its path through the Caribbean.

U.S. forecasters say Tropical Storm Chris could become a hurricane later Wednesday or early Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center says the storm currently has sustained winds of 95 kilometers an hour. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the island of Anguilla, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Warnings have been discontinued for the islands of St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, and St. Maarten.

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Chris will produce as much as 20 centimeters of rain in higher elevations of the Northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico Wednesday.

Projections indicate the storm could reach the island of Hispaniola and The Bahamas on its way to the strait between Florida and Cuba.

The first storm of the season, Tropical Storm Alberto, hit the U.S. state of Florida in mid-June. That storm was followed by Tropical Storm Beryl, which hit parts of the U.S. northeast