Hurricane Erin briefly strengthened into a Category 5 storm. It is not expected to make a direct hit on the U.S. but will create dangerous surf.

Hurricane Erin has strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane as it threatens to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to the eastern coast of the United States. However, the effects of Erin are not due to be felt in the UK's weather until next week, as Simon King explains:

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

The storm will remain a major hurricane through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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 on Saturday before weakening,

Behind these storms, much cooler air arrives, and we begin the week with highs only in the mid-70s. It will be cloudy with scattered showers on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, some sun returns with isolated thunderstorms and highs near 80.