Hurricane Erin rapidly intensifies into Category 4 Hurricane

Hurricane Erin formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday and rapidly intensified overnight into a Category 4 hurricane.

At 11 p.m. on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said Erin was moving west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. This motion is expected to continue into the weekend with a gradual decrease in forward speed.

The center is likely to move just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the weekend.

Hurricane hunters find winds now up to 145 mph. Erin is a category 4 storm. Hurricane force winds extend only 30 miles from the center and will stay well north of the islands.

Forecasters say it is expected to turn away from the United States over the next several days.