Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

Erin strengthened into a hurricane on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to remain over open waters,

The storm isn't expected to hit the U.S. mainland, but could create dangerous surf conditions and rip currents.

Heavy rains are forecast to start with the storm expected to become a major Category 3 storm over the weekend.

Hurricane Erin was expected to soak the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rain through the weekend before heading north up the Atlantic.

The NHC forecast advisory predicts Erin will continue westward today before bending west‑northwest tonight and through the weekend as a weakness develops in the subtropical ridge. Forecast positions show the storm moving from 16.

The peak intensity is now expected at a strong Cat 3 with winds of 125 mph. The storm will miss a direct hit to the Windward Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola. Once the system is north of Puerto Rico,

Tropical Storm Erin -- which is forecast to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season by Saturday morning -- won't have a direct impact on the U.S., but it will bring dangerous rip currents to the East Coast.