Tropical Storm Igor Path

(Sept. 8) -- Hurricane Earl may have been somewhat of a bust as far as big storms go (much to the relief of residents of the East Coast), but that doesn't mean storm watchers have a chance to relax: Tropical Storm Igor, the ninth named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean at around 10:45 a.m. EDT today. Check out the pics of its formation, via NASA:

Where is it now and where is it headed? Surge Desk has the answers:

1. Where is Tropical Storm Igor right now?
As of a 5 p.m. EDT update, the National Hurricane Center reported that Igor was located about 75 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde capital city of Praia. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the southern Cape Verde Islands of Maio, Sao Tiago, Fogo and Brago, for the next 12 hours.

2. What is Tropical Storm Igor's projected path?
Presently, Igor is reported to be "creeping westward" at a relatively gentle rate of six miles per hour. On Thursday, the storm is expected to turn west-northwest and gain speed, passing just south of the Cape Verde Islands and continuing on into the open expanse of ocean between them and Puerto Rico.

3. How strong is Tropical Storm Igor?
The storm currently has a maximum sustained wind speed of 45 mph with 50-mph tropical-force winds extending out from its center, but it's only getting stronger, if slowly. The storm system has a 40 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported via NOLA.com. In addition, the National Hurricane Center reports that Igor could become a hurricane by the weekend.

4. Which areas is Tropical Storm Igor expected to affect?
For now, the effects will mostly be restricted to Cape Verde, which could see anywhere between 1 and 3 inches of rain.