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,

Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now forecast to become a Category 4 by Sunday. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Erin has officially become a hurricane, the first of this season, as it continues its journey across the Atlantic. The storm officially transitioned to a hurricane late Friday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles an hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Weather experts on the Leeward Islands, including Puerto Rico, are keeping close watch as Erin lurches toward the Caribbean and is on track to become a major hurricane.

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.

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