Tropical Storm Gordon: 3-day forecast track. NOAA/NHC graphic

The center of the storm was located about 425 miles north of the Leeward Islands as of 5 pm EDT Monday, the weather service said. It was moving northwest at about 9 miles an hour, a speed expected to continue for the next day.

Gordon had maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph and is expected to strengthen during the next day.

"Right now, it's expected to remain out to sea, but it could be a hurricane in the next couple of days," hurricane center meteorologist Eric Blake said.

Gordon, the seventh named storm of the Atlantic storm season, isn't currently forecast to become a threat to land, Blake said.

It would become the season's third hurricane if its maximum sustained winds reach at least 74 mph.

Gordon's tropical-storm-force winds of 39 to 73 mph extended out as far as 45 miles from the center of the storm.