Tropical Storm Bret has formed in the Atlantic with 40 mph winds moving west at 21 mph.

An alert is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda along with the rest of the Leeward Islands and the BVI.

Bret is the third tropical storm of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. 

In its 5 pm update, the US National Hurricane Center (said the center of Tropical Storm Bret was located about 1,295 miles (2,085 km) east of the Southern Windward Islands. 

Bret is moving toward the west near 21 mph (33 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue for the next several days.  

On the forecast track, the system should be approaching the Lesser Antilles late this week.