Tropical Storm Jose is expected to become a hurricane by tonight

National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Jose, the 10th tropical storm of this year's hurricane season, is expected to become a hurricane by tonight, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

The storm was officially named on Tuesday, and is currently more than 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, a collection of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center has not issued any coastal watches or warnings. 

As of 5 a.m. this morning, Jose had maximum sustained wind speeds of 60 mph and was moving west at 13 mph. It's expected to begin traveling faster over the next two days.

Although forecasters are watching Jose closely, the more pressing concern is Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm that has been described as "potentially catastrophic" by the National Hurricane Center. Irma made landfall in Barbuda, Anguilla, and St. Martin on Wednesday morning.

Many parts of Florida are in Irma's projected path, and could be hit by the storm this weekend. Areas in the southern part of the state are already being evacuated in preparation. 

Meanwhile, the US is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall on August 25, leaving devastation and severe flooding in many parts of Texas and Louisiana. The storm dumped as much as 51.88 inches of rain in some spots, and has claimed at least 60 lives.

The peak of hurricane season is usually around September 10, so more activity is still expected in the Atlantic. Yet another tropical storm, Katia, is located about 100 miles east of Mexico. 

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