Hurricanes form in the tropical Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico between 5° and 25° north latitude during June and July. As the season progresses, storms develop off the West Coast of Africa and are called "Cape Verde" storms, which are the islands near where the storms originate. Cape Verde hurricanes usually gain intensity as they cross the Atlantic heading westward toward the East Coast of the United States. By late October, the source region for hurricanes shifts westward to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.