Forecasters said Erin should begin to slowly weaken as it increased wind shear. However, it's predicted to remain a major hurricane until late next week.

It quickly powered up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Forecasters are watching a new tropical system that may form behind Hurricane Erin, which is intensifying again Monday. Tropical storm and storm surge watches were issued for the North Carolina

Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Erin strengthened Monday and was forecast to expand as the powerful Category 4 storm drenched Caribbean islands and threatened dangerous rip currents along the US East Coast. By Tuesday, the entire US East Coast will face a high risk of life-threatening surf and rip currents,

FOX43's Grant Carlton has the latest forecast of what to expect as Hurricane Erin nears the East Coast and important warnings for beachgoers next week.

While Erin is expected to take a northward turn in the Atlantic, a new system off the coast of Africa has the National Hurricane Center's attention.

Tropical Storm Erin's path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

Erin was expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Friday and forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend.