Tropical Storm Maria prompting a hurricane watch for areas battered by Hurricane Irma

Tropical Storm Maria formed in the western Atlantic Ocean is prompting a hurricane watch for areas battered by Hurricane Irma last week.

The storm is moving towards the Caribbean.

Maria is expected to gain strength later in the week and become a hurricane by late Tuesday.

Tropical storm watches are posted for Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The hurricane watch covers Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and Guadeloupe.

That means areas devastated by Irma could again be dealing with hurricane conditions by Wednesday or Thursday.

Maria joins Tropical Storm Lee, which formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Source: CNN