Hurricane Erin is now Category 2 storm
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"Erin will be a large and powerful hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean this weekend," the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters are tracking a new disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean as Hurricane Erin, a Category 5 storm, undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle, according to a Saturday night update from the National Hurricane Center.
Two-and-a-half months into the season, the region has its first documented hurricane, and it could impact Long Island beaches.
Erin developed in the eastern Atlantic, moving westward from the Cabo Verde Islands at about 20 mph (32 km/h). Infrared sensors on NOAA's GOES-19 satellite reveal colder cloud tops and deep convection near the center — signs of a strengthening system feeding on warm ocean waters.
Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.