The NHC said it currently expected Erin to become a Category 4 storm later Saturday but to eventually swerve away from the continental United States.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

Hurricane Erin has officially formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, Aug. 15, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Erin has strengthened into a hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides.

See Erin’s latest track, which is expected to avoid land. Distant impacts from the storm are expected in the northern Caribbean.

Hurricane Erin has surged to Category 4 storm status and could bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore next week as it remains far out to see.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.