TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Erin continues to churn over the Atlantic this weekend as a powerful Category 4 storm. Erin weakened slightly from earlier peak intensity, but remains a dangerous hurricane as it moves near the northern Caribbean.

Hurricane Erin was expected to soak the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rain through the weekend before heading north up the Atlantic.

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,

Hurricane Erin will continue to strengthen as it approaches the Leeward Island and Puerto Rico, where it will threaten with tropical downpours, pounding surf and strong winds.

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.

Tropical Storm Erin is still moving quickly westward and is forecast to become a hurricane in a few days over the central tropical Atlantic, the NHC said.

The storm is expected to remain over open waters and move north-northeast of islands including Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

However, the severity of those impacts is unknown at this time. Swells generated by Erin will begin affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the NHC said.