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.

Erin has intensified to a Category Four Hurricane as it makes its way toward the East Coast of the United States.

It continues to push toward the northern Leeward Islands, where tropical storm watches are now in effect as of the 8 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. Intensification is expected as Erin moves toward warmer ocean temperatures over the next several days.

Tropical storm Erin is forecast to become the first major Atlantic hurricane of the year, and it could bring dangerous weather to the East. Here’s what to know. The first Atlantic hurricane of the year could be upon us.

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 is now a rare Category 5, churning through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.

Spaghetti models predict Erin will skirt the U.S. East Coast by hundreds of miles as it moves north through next week.

The NHC said it currently expected Erin to become a Category 4 storm later Saturday but to eventually swerve away from the continental United States.