Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane but is gaining in size and raising the risk of life-threatening surf later this week along the U.S.

As of 5:00 p.m. AST on Sunday, Erin’s center was positioned approximately 275 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, tracking west-northwest at 13 mph. Although no longer directly affecting the area, the storm’s outer bands are still delivering heavy rainfall, dangerous marine conditions, and life-threatening surf along coastal areas.

Tracking Hurricane Erin, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which weakened to a Category 3 storm early Sunday.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

The orders have enabled Puerto Rico's government to fix and restore lines and ensure sustained energy resilience.

While the category 4 storm is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. east coast, it will have an impact nonetheless. Dangerous high surf and rip currents are expected from Florida to New England throughout the week.

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area Wednesday through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.