Erin remains a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph, as of the 11 a.m. National Hurricane Center update.
Erin is likely to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week. Some weakening is expected beginning Monday evening.
The minimum pressure remained near 935 mb (27.61 inches).
At 11 a.m., Hurricane Erin was about 110 miles north of Grand Turk Island and 880 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Erin is moving toward the west-northwest at 10 mph. This general motion is expected today, followed by a gradual turn to the northwest and north on Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the core of Erin is expected to pass to the east of the southeastern Bahamas today and move between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States by the middle of the week.
Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeast Bahamas. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Central Bahamas.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles.
Outer bands of Erin will produce localized areas of heavy rainfall across portions of Hispaniola through today and Tuesday for the Turks and Caicos and portions of the southeast and central Bahamas. Additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts to 6 inches, is forecast.
Swells generated by Erin will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days. These rough ocean conditions will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.
Hurricane Erin is expected to turn to the north and be offshore to the east of Jacksonville on Tuesday. Increasing winds along the coast and rip current risk at the beaches will be the biggest hazards as Erin passes by.
A tropical wave is being monitored, as well, by the Hurricane Center. An area of low pressure could form over the central tropical Atlantic during the middle to latter portion of the week. Some development could occur as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 15-20 mph.