but losing strength , forecasters said , while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana . Ana was about 240 miles -LRB- 385 kilometers -RRB- east of Dominica at 2 p.m. ET Sunday . It was expected to arrive at the Leeward Islands by late Sunday or early Monday , the center said . It was moving about 25 mph , and its maximum sustained winds were close to 40 mph , the center said . Tropical storm watches were in effect for Dominica , Puerto Rico , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the British Virgin Islands , Montserrat , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Maarten , Saba , St. Eustatius , Guadeloupe , St. Martin , and St. Barthelemey . Tropical Storm Bill -- which could become a hurricane on Monday -- should be watched closely as it heads west-northwest in the Atlantic , possibly toward Florida , CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf said . The storm was 1,555 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 11 a.m. ET Sunday . Bill may reach Category 3 status as it bears down on the Leeward Islands Wednesday or Thursday ,
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Claudette was gaining strength Sunday as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Panhandle , the National Hurricane Center said . A satellite image from 2 p.m. ET Sunday shows a tropical storm nearing the Florida Panhandle . At 2 p.m. ET , Claudette 's winds had picked up to near 50 mph , based on observations by an Air Force reconnaissance plane . The center of the storm was about 40 miles south of Apalachicola , Florida , and about 160 miles from Pensacola , the center said . It was moving at about 14 mph , putting it on course to hit land by Sunday evening . A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Suwannee River . A tropical storm warning means that weather conditions will likely deteriorate in the next 24 hours . The storm could bring 3 to 5 inches of rain , with isolated amounts up to 10 inches , and storm surges across portions of North Florida . Meanwhile , two other tropical storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday . Tropical Storm Ana was moving west