Tropical Storm Erin Strengthens As It Heads Toward U.S.

Tropical Storm Erin remains on track to strengthen into a hurricane by the end of the week as it moves across the Atlantic toward U.S. waters, forecasters said.

The system is expected to intensify into a hurricane by Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. After that, it will likely become a major hurricane, Category 3 or higher, by Sunday. Authorities in several states along the East Coast are already warning of dangerous rip currents in Atlantic waters, which could increase as Erin approaches.

In a Tuesday interview with WJZ, the Ocean City Beach Patrol said that ocean conditions are becoming rough along the Maryland coast.

"Today, the waves have calmed down again. It's looking nice, but we're really concerned because what will happen is we get those tropical waves coming in, and it's sunny," said Butch Arbin, the captain of the Ocean City Beach Patrol.

"Environmental conditions north and northeast of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean will be very favorable for intensification and, as a result, Erin is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend," AccuWeatherLead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.

Erin, which formed off Africa’s west coast earlier this week and is heading west at 17 mph, has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and minimum central pressure of 999 mb on Thursday morning.

It will start to strengthen before and while passing just north of the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean ahead of the weekend, AccuWeather said.

The northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico could see heavy rainfall, high surf and rip currents, and tropical-storm force winds this weekend as Erin passes to the north of them, NHC said.

It could rapidly strengthen into a powerful storm by the time it approaches the northern Caribbean and Bahamas this weekend, meteorologists said.

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Erin is moving into an area with warmer water and lower wind shear.

"Once that happens, the strengthening process will resume and may occur rapidly,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

The system remained weak as it moved through water temperatures in the middle to upper 70s. This weakened state kept Erin moving on a westerly track, meteorologists said.

As it moves into warmer waters and strengthens, a northward turn is expected later this weekend or early next week. When the turn happens will determine its track.

"Interests along the East Coast of the United States, the Bahamas and in Bermuda should monitor the progress of Erin, as a shift in the track could bring direct impacts to these areas," DaSilva said.

While the storm is likely to stay offshore from the U.S., a shift to its path could bring heavy rains, strong winds, flooding to some coastal communities, forecasters said.

Though the storm is getting more organized, Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, still expects Erin to stay away from the Sunshine State.

“The storm is expected to be well east of Florida on Tuesday morning as it makes its turn away from the United States. It will likely be a major hurricane by then,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Phillips added, “Ensembles still overwhelmingly keep Erin well to the East of Florida. A few members bring the storm a bit closer to the outer banks of NC, but not close enough to stress over at this point.”

As of Thursday, the biggest threat to the coastal U.S., including Florida, are rough surf and rip currents, forecasters said.