Erin has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season with strong waves and rip currents possible along the East Coast of the United States as early as next week.

Hurricane Erin could 'at least double or triple in size' next week and the track has shifted south, but remains likely to turn away from the East Coast.

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.

A westward-moving tropical wave could produce an area of low pressure in the tropical Atlantic late in the week of Aug. 18, the hurricane center said on Aug. 16. The center shows a 20% chance of storm formation over the next week.

Swells generated by Erin are likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions in the Virgin Islands and Puerto by the weekend.