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Though Hurricane Erin will remain offshore of the U.S. East Coast, the category two storm is expected to grow in size and will cause life-threatening surf, dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding to communities from Florida all the way to New England this week, forecasters said.

Erin's large size and winds are generating swells that can reach 50 feet (the height of a five-story building) or more near the center of the storm and spread outward, AccuWeather said. Swells will reach 5-10 feet near shore along Florida's Atlantic coast.

Hurricane Erin's main impact on Florida will be dangerous high surf and life-threatening rip currents along the state's east coast through the middle of the week, FOX Weather said. While no direct landfall or wind impacts are expected for Florida, the storm's large size will create hazardous beach conditions, and officials urge swimmers and boaters on the East Coast to be cautious.

"Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the east coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days," the National Hurricane Center said. "Beachgoers in those areas should follow advice from lifeguards, local authorities, and beach warning flags."

While experts watch to see exactly how close the storm gets to the coastal U.S., they’re also eyeing two waves coming off the coast of Africa behind Erin for potential tropical development.

The system has wavered in strength since forming as a hurricane Friday morning and exploding into a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds by Saturday morning. Erin has weakened, reintensified and weakened again since then; as of Tuesday morning, it’s a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It’s likely to strengthen again and to regain major hurricane status by midweek, AccuWeather said.

Though Erin has lost wind intensity in recent days, “the size of the storm has grown dramatically. Tropical storm force winds will likely extend outward more than 230 miles from the center of the storm during the middle of the week,” Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert, said.

Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands and in the southeast Bahamas for a few more hours on Tuesday, and are possible in parts of the Central Bahamas, NHC said.

Erin’s outer bands are bringing heavy rains to the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday and through Tuesday night for the Bahamas, meteorologists said. Flash and urban flooding are possible.

The storm, which is curving north, will pass between the U.S. coast and Bermuda, which will feel impacts from the tropical system Wednesday into Friday.

Erin will move closest to the U.S. on Thursday, tracking 150 to 250 miles east of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, according to AccuWeather. The area could see wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph, several feet of storm surge, and waves that could reach 15 to 20 feet.

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“People should follow evacuation orders. Hurricane Erin is expected to blast parts of the Outer Banks with 60 to 80 mph wind gusts, several feet of storm surge, and waves that could reach 15 to 20 feet,” DaSilva said. “Coastal flooding and surge could wash away dunes and leave roads submerged. These dangerous conditions could leave roads impassable for days, making rescues and evacuations nearly impossible.”

Dangerous and powerful rip currents from the system will impact the entire U.S. coastline, he added.

Two tropical waves behind Erin are being watched for potential development into a tropical depression or storm.

A wave near the Leeward Islands in the central tropical Atlantic has a 60 percent chance of strengthening over the next week and a 10 percent chance of developing over the next two days, the NHC said.

This system, which is moving west-northwest at 20 mph, is producing a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday morning, forecasters said. Environmental conditions are conducive for developing into a tropical depression by the end of the week or this weekend.

The second wave, located a few hundred miles to the southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands, has a 30 percent chance of developing over the next two days, NHC said.

This system, moving west at 15 mph, is producing a concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday morning.

While current conditions are favorable for the area to develop over the next couple of days, “the system could encounter a less favorable environment, limiting its development chances” by the end of the week, the NHC said.

It’s too soon to predict either system’s strength or exact track, experts said.

“Decent amount of dust in their path. Any development is expected to be slow. Just too early to get a feel on where they'll go,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, wrote in a Facebook post.

Fox 13’s Paul Dellegatto wrote in a Facebook post, “A tropical wave … has a chance for developing as it nears the Greater Antilles by the end of the week. It looks like the environment in the wake of Erin will be marginal for significant development. If something does develop, there is a large model spread on the eventual track. We have several days to watch this and fine tune the forecast. Another wave … coming off Africa will not be developing for several days, if it develops at all. Hurricane season is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Teddy Bridgewater was the highlight of week two of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ preseason in their 17-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bridgwater started for the Bucs and completed 6-of-11 passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. The first touchdown went to running back Bucky Irving, who ran a five-yard go-route, gaining leverage on the DB to make the catch and give the Bucs a 7-0 lead. Emeka Egbuka then ran a perfect corner route on the second TD to put the Buccaneers up 14-0. The Buccaneers would add a Chase McLaughlin 42 yard field goal as time ran out to give the Bucs the 17-14 win.

Bridgewater tried to keep it simple in his Buccaneers debut and let the playmakers on offense make plays. “That was the focus, for me to just to be able to jot down a couple plays I was comfortable with, go out and execute, try to execute at a high level, and just get the ball to the guys in order to make plays. We have so many playmakers in that locker room, and you saw it tonight – get the ball to those guys in space and good things happen.”

For being in the offense just two weeks, coach Todd Bowles was impressed with how Bridgewater commanded the offense. “Just being here two weeks, I thought he did a hell of a job. He made two great throws down there for the touchdown throws, moved in the pocket well, got out of trouble, kept us out of trouble, and kept the ball safe. He got one batted down, but for being here two weeks, it said a lot about him and how he operates and what he does. He had good command of the offense.”

Bridgewater would give way to the former Florida Gator Kyle Trask, and to say that Trask underwhelmed would be an understatement. As good as Trask was the week before against Tennessee, he was awful against the Steelers’ defense, completing just 3-of-10 passes for 19 yards.

Another disappointment offensively was the play of the offensive line and the running backs. The offensive line was beaten most of the evening by the Steelers’ defensive line, as the Buccaneers could not open much running room for the backs. After averaging over four yards per carry against the Titans, the Bucs averaged 1.8 yards against Pittsburgh.

The defensive line was also inept at putting pressure on the Steelers’ quarterbacks. Overall, it was a disappointing outing for the defensive line. However, the Buccaneers’ defensive backs played well and had two takeaways to stall Pittsburgh’s offensive drives. Kindle Vildor, who is making a strong case to make the team, along with Antonio Grier and Zyon McCollum, had the three picks for the Buccaneers defense.

Another huge positive coming out of this game was the punting of Riley Dixon. Dixon averaged over 50 yards per punt on eight kicks and helped the Buccaneers maintain control of field position throughout the game. If Dixon can punt like this during the regular season, that will be a massive plus for the Bucs in the battle for field position.

The Buccaneers lost linebacker JJ Roberts for the season with a knee injury suffered in practice last week. Roberts will have surgery and be placed on season-ending IR. That injury and linebacker David Walker’s placement on IR before the season starts are big blows to the Buccaneers’ defensive depth. That opens the door for Shilo Sanders to gain a spot on the 53-man roster, but he failed to distinguish himself and stand out during the game. He did have two solo tackles.

Jacob Parrish had another good night with a pass defensed, a tackle for loss, and three tackles. Chris Braswell, Warren Peoples, and rookies Nick Jackson and John Bullock also recorded sacks, giving the Bucs defense four sacks on the night. This was the second game in a row that the rookie Jackson recorded a sack.

Bowles was pleased with the sacks and the turnovers. “Turnovers win games,” Bowles said. “That last one got us the ballgame, and obviously, we stopped two drives with the other two. We can’t turn it over, and that put them back in the ballgame, but three interceptions two games in a row is a plus. Got to keep getting them.”

Despite the one muffed punt, Tez Johnson looked good in the punt return game; his vision, quickness, and overall speed make him very dangerous as a return man. He averaged 18.5 yards per punt return against the Steelers.

The Buccaneers will conclude the preseason on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills at Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 PM.

Hurricane Erin is expected to bring strong winds, dangerous rip currents and swells to Florida's Atlantic Coast this week.

Forecasters continue to watch Hurricane Erin, which has reintensified into a Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds, and warn people along Florida's East Coast to about dangerous surf conditions the storm will generate.

"Erin will remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week," with the storm growing even stronger, the National Hurricane Center said Monday.

While Erin’s track should bring it increasingly close to the U.S. East Coast through Thursday — while brushing by Bermuda at the same time — the system will turn away from the mainland and head first northwest, then north into the Atlantic, AccuWeather forecasters said.

Before and during Erin’s predicted turn, the system is expected to bring “life-threatening surf and rip currents” to the beaches of the Bahamas, the U.S. East Coast and Atlantic Canada over the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said.

All central Florida Atlantic beaches are under a high rip current risk from Monday morning through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.

"Numerous, strong, life-threatening rip currents and increasing rough surf" are expected, the forecast said. "Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water."

Waves of 5 to 10 feet could reach coastal communities with 10 to 15 feet possible at North Carolina’s Outer Banks, eastern Long Island and Cape Cod, AccuWeather said. Swells, rip currents, beach erosion and coastal flooding are predicted to intensify from mid- to late week.

Strong winds of 40 to 50 mph that are produced by Erin’s outer rainbands could also impact the Outer Banks and Bermuda mid-week, forecasters said. The area could even see wind gusts as high as 60 mph.

“Erin is going to go down as the ultimate land scraper,” Fox 13’s Paul Dellegatto wrote in a Facebook post. “Scraped by Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, then will land scrape the Outer Banks of North Carolina, then will finally scrape by Bermuda. Definitely some impacts, but could be a lot worse.”

Meanwhile, a new spot coming off the coast of Africa is being eyed for possible tropical development this week. If the system develops into a hurricane, it will be Fernand, the next name on the 2025 Atlantic hurricane name list.

Erin became the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025 on Friday morning and quickly strengthened into a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds by late Saturday morning. It weakened into a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday.

“Erin will go down in the history books as one of the fastest rapidly intensifying storms in history. It took roughly 24 hours for Erin to explode from a Category 1 storm to a monster Category 5 hurricane,” Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather lead hurricane expert, said. “Erin took full advantage of the warm waters and conducive conditions for rapid intensification this weekend. We expect to see more cases of extreme rapid intensification in the future as ocean temperatures continue to rise.”

The system also had one of the largest 24-hour pressure drops ever recorded in the Atlantic before September, DaSilva added.

Erin will take a curved track between the U.S. and Bermuda this week, while remaining a major storm, according to AccuWeather.

The system will also continue to intensify, Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, wrote in a Facebook post. “Erin's pressure continued to drop overnight indicating the storm is back to strengthening. The winds should increase today. On the satellite, it's clear that a new, small, eye is developing again.”

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The storm is about 100 miles east-northeast of Grand Turk Island. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas.

Bands of heavy rain are expected Monday over parts of Hispaniola, and through Tuesday for the Turks and Caicos and parts of the southeast and central Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said. Flash and urban flooding are possible.

Tropical storm conditions are expected Monday in the Turks and Caicos Islands and in the southeast Bahamas and in parts of the central Bahamas late Monday through Tuesday, NHC said.

Meanwhile, forecasters are watching a tropical wave over the eastern tropical Atlantic that has a 50 percent chance of developing over the next week, NHC said.

Environmental conditions seem conducive for the gradual development of the system, which is currently producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the agency said. A tropical depression could form later in the week.

The system is forecast to move west to west-northwest around 20 mph across the central tropical Atlantic, approaching the Leeward Islands by the end of the week.

There’s no way to predict the wave’s exact path as it has a “long trek ahead across the Atlantic” as it moves toward the Caribbean, Matt Devitt with WINK Weather wrote in a Facebook post. “Beyond that point and what it becomes is too early to speculate. One of the hardest elements of tropical weather forecasting is honestly...the wait. It can sometimes be frustrating wanting an immediate answer when the only actual answer is...that there isn't one yet. Once it forms/if it forms, models will then be able to analyze it better.”

Dellegatto said there’s “lots of uncertainty” about this new spot to watch.

“Models are split on a similar path as Erin and a path closer to the United States. We are looking about [eight to nine] days from now, so confidence in any solution is very low,” he wrote.

Erin is expected to double or triple in size by the middle of next week, and the storm's impact on the U.S. is still dependent on its track.

Hurricane Erin intensified into a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm late Saturday morning and is predicted to double or triple in size by the middle of next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 2 p.m. Saturday, Erin was located about 205 miles east-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm was moving west at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.

Mike Brennen, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Erin had grown into a “very powerful hurricane.” He said the storm's winds gained 60 mph in intensity within about nine hours on Saturday.

“We expect to see Erin peak here in intensity relatively soon,” Brennan said in an online briefing.

The Hurricane Center said Erin should weaken somewhat late Saturday or early Sunday as the storm encounters increased wind shear and possibly takes in more dry air. However, forecasters predict it will remain a major hurricane until midweek.

Erin is moving through waters that are warmer than the historical average, not just at the surface but also hundreds of feet below. These warm waters, combined with very little in the way of dry air and wind shear, created "near-perfect" conditions for rapid intensification, according to AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.

According to the latest forecast from the NHC, Erin's eye is expected to move just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend.

After moving past the Caribbean islands, the severity of Erin's impact on the U.S. East Coast will depend on the storm's track, Accuweather said.

"Erin is forecast to slowly curve to the north as it continues to strengthen over the weekend. At this time, the storm is forecast to remain hundreds of miles off the East Coast," DaSilva said.

According to Accuweather, the strength and position of a high-pressure system over the central Atlantic Ocean and an approaching dip in the jet stream will be key factors in determining Erin's track in the coming week.

Although Erin is a somewhat compact hurricane now, models are in strong agreement that the system will grow in size over the next several days, according to the NHC.

"In fact, by the middle of next week, Erin is forecast to at least double or triple in size, which will result in rough ocean conditions over the western Atlantic," NHC forecasters said.

Erin's proximity to the U.S. East Coast will determine the severity of the storm's impacts from Florida to Massachusetts and, later, for Atlantic Canada.

Some of the most certain U.S. impacts from the storm will be dangerous surf, beach erosion, coastal flooding and frequent, strong rip currents along the U.S. East Coast.

"Beaches along the entire East Coast, from Florida to New England and Atlantic Canada, will likely experience rough surf and dangerous rip currents as Erin tracks north and eventually northeast," DaSilva said.

Offshore wave heights may also exceed 50 feet at the height of the storm, according to AccuWeather. The massive waves will then move from the center as large swells, reaching coastal areas in the form of powerful breakers.

"Much of the U.S. East Coast can expect breakers of 5-10 feet in the surf zone. However, in areas of land that extend farther east, such as the Outer Banks, eastern Long Island and Cape Cod, breakers of 10-15 feet are likely," AccuWeather said.

Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin gained strength at a pace that was “incredible for any time of year, let alone August 16th.”

Lowry said only four other Category 5 hurricanes have been recorded in the Atlantic on or before Aug. 16.

The most powerful storms tend to form later in the year, with the hurricane season typically peaking in mid-September.

In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma rocketed from a tropical storm to a Category 5 storm in less than 24 hours, according to National Hurricane Center advisories from that time. Wilma weakened to a Category 3 hurricane before striking Florida. Hurricane Felix in October 2007 took just over a full day to go from a tropical storm to Category 5 strength.

Including Erin, there have been 43 hurricanes that have reached Category 5 status on record in the Atlantic, said Dan Pydynowski, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

“They’re certainly rare, although this would mark the fourth year in a row that we’ve had one in the Atlantic basin,” Pydynowski said about Category 5 hurricanes. Conditions needed for hurricanes to reach this strength include very warm ocean water, little to no wind shear, and being far from land, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Erin reached hurricane status Friday morning in the Atlantic Ocean, with AccuWeather forecasters predicting it will reach monster Category 4 strength next week.

The first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season is more than 500 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Erin is expected to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane while tracking between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast, experts said.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph Friday as of 11 a.m. as it moves west-northwest across the Atlantic at 17 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average," said Accuweather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said.

The National Hurricane Center defines the type of weather disturbance by the strength of its wind speed. A hurricane is a storm with sustained wind speed of at least 74 miles per hour.

A category 1 storm has sustained winds of 74-95 mph, while a category 4 storm packs winds of 130-156 mph. “Catastrophic damage will occur,” at that strength, the NHC said.

The Washington Post reported that Erin should become a Category 4 storm on Monday, but it is still expected to avoid landfall on the East Coast.

Though experts said it’s too early to predict specific impacts of wind, rain, or storm surge to the East Coast, they did advise beachgoers to keep an eye on the waves as the storm intensifies.

“As Erin moves into the Western Atlantic and strengthens, it’s gonna produce a large wave field,” National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said Friday, with a chart of the storm’s wave field.

According to Rhome, brighter colors in the chart indicate higher ocean waves, with the potential to reach up to 35 feet.

Regardless of Erin’s exact track, Rhome said the threat of rip currents will still materialize and advised those headed to the beach to swim near a lifeguard and check hazard warnings at their local beach beforehand.

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While Erin is expected to turn north into the Atlantic, the storm could bring dangerous rough surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast next week. How the system impacts the U.S. will be determined by when it turns north.

The storm is expected to pass about 200 miles north of Puerto Rico and track north between the U.S. and Bermuda, forecasters said.

Though the eye is expected to stay well offshore from the U.S., the storm is expected to grow in size and intensity.

If it tracks further west, “protruding coastal areas — such as North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts — face a higher risk of direct and potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions than much of the southern Atlantic, mid-Atlantic and northern New England coasts,” AccuWeather meteorologists said.

Waves as high as 10 to 15 feet could impact parts of the North Carolina coast, causing beach erosion issues, experts said.

Bermuda could experience Category 2 hurricane conditions Tuesday if Erin tracks farther east.

“A turn away from the U.S. East Coast is very likely next week with no direct impacts to the U.S. mainland,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, wrote in a Facebook post.

Fox 13’s Paul Dellegatto wrote in a social media post, “Erin is also on track to pass well east of Florida. High surf and beach erosion is likely on our east coast.”

No matter the exact path it takes, the storm will have a large wind field that could bring strong rip currents to powerful surf from Florida to Atlantic Canada, AccuWeather said.