Erin dropped Sunday to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph, as of the 5 p.m. National Hurricane Center update.
Some increase in size and strength is forecast during the next 48 hours. Erin is likely to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week.
The minimum pressure remained near 946 mb (27.94 inches).
At 5 p.m., Hurricane Erin was about 275 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 270 miles east of Grand Turk Island.
Erin is moving toward the west-northwest at 13 mph. This general motion is expected today, followed by a gradual turn to the northwest and north on Monday and Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the core of Erin is expected to pass to the east and northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Monday.
Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeast Bahamas.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.
The outer bands of Erin continue to produce areas of heavy rainfall across Puerto Rico. Additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected across Puerto Rico through Monday. Additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts to 6 inches, is forecast over the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas, including San Salvador Island, through Tuesday. Locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides, are possible.
Swells generated by Erin will continue to affect portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands during the next couple of days. These swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the early and middle portions of the week. These rough ocean conditions will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.
Hurricane Erin is expected to turn to the north and be offshore to the east of Jacksonville on Tuesday. Increasing winds along the coast and rip current risk at the beaches will be the biggest hazards as Erin passes by.
Another area the National Hurricane Center is watching is just off the coast of the Carolinas and is producing disorganized showers and storms. This area is expected to move into the Atlantic without tropical development.
A second tropical wave is being monitored, as well, by the Hurricane Center. An area of low pressure could form over the central tropical Atlantic during the middle to latter portion of the week. Some development could occur as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 15-20 mph.