The storm is not currently forecast to hit land, but its strong winds are impacting nearby islands, prompting warnings of possible flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Erin was downgraded to Category 3 early morning on Sunday, Aug. 17, per the National Hurricane Center. However, the tropical storm is still expected to bring 'life-threatening' conditions to the beaches along much of the east coast of the U.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands as winds and heavy rains continue to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

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

Despite this, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Erin is growing in size, with tropical-storm-strength winds extending 205 miles from its centre. Storm-related hazards, including flash flooding and landslides, are expected in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Tropical Storm Erin's path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists.

Erin reached Category 5 status before weakening but has brought significant rain to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

The system is moving in the same direction and similar path to Erin, heading westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 miles per hour.