Tropical Storm Fernand and Invest 99L are roaming the Atlantic Basin as we begin the final week of August. Meanwhile, more than 200 million Americans across the central and eastern U.S. will experience their first true taste of fall this week.

Tropical Storm Fernand is slowly strengthening and should move across the open waters of the subtropical central Atlantic well east and northeast of Bermuda. Data from Air Force reconnaissance aircraft indicate that the tropical wave east of the Windward Islands (Invest 99L) does not have a closed low-level circulation.

After Fernand, there's not much in the offing across the Atlantic Basin as we approach the peak of hurricane season. Meanwhile, some 200 million Americans are experiencing an early taste of fall with temperatures 10-20 degrees cooler than average.

Our weather pattern is in a fall-like pattern this week. Below normal high temperatures in the upper 70s with a mix of sunshine and fair-weather clouds will be with us most of the week. Dewpoints may gradually return into the lower 60s by the weekend,

“Erin is a large hurricane,” forecasters said, noting that hurricane-force winds extend up to 80 miles from the storm’s center, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching up to 205 miles.

Hurricane Erin has officially lost tropical characteristics and become "post-tropical" as it moves away from the U.S. East Coast and becomes a cold weather wind storm in the north Atlantic. Elsewhere,

Outer bands from Hurricane Erin could lash the North Carolina coastline with tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rain as it passes by the Outer Banks, where a Tropical Storm Watch and a Storm Surge Watch were issued.

Invest 99-L features a tropical wave located just east of the Windward Islands, moving west at 18 mph. Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with this tropical wave is still trying to organize, but the window for a tropical depression to form from this system is starting to close.

Erin is expected to develop into a hurricane later this week and could affect Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic as it passes east of the Bahamas. The latest models have Erin curving away from the eastern coast of the U.S. this week. Indirect impacts of large swells,

The NWS Newport/Morehead City NC issued an updated tropical storm watch at 10:41 p.m. on Monday in effect until Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. for Hatteras Island.