Hurricane Erin now a Category 4 storm
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Hurricane Erin is forecast to continue growing in size, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 50 miles from its center.
"Erin will be a large and powerful hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean this weekend," the National Hurricane Center said.
As Erin continues to churn over very warm water, the storm will gain quick momentum and will likely become the first major hurricane (a category 3, 4 or 5 storm) as early as this weekend as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico.
A westward-moving tropical wave could produce an area of low pressure in the tropical Atlantic late in the week of Aug. 18, the hurricane center said on Aug. 16. The center shows a 20% chance of storm formation over the next week.
Hurricane Erin has officially formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Aug. 15, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Jean-Raymond Bidlot, senior scientist in ocean modeling at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) told Newsweek that Erin is forecast to strengthen over the next week as it heads toward the U.S. East Coast, reaching peak intensity offshore from Cape Hatteras.