Meteorologists are closely tracking the projected path and forecast of Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year.

Hurricane Erin is still churning in the Atlantic Ocean as a Category 2 Hurricane, delivering tropical storm force winds to Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas. As the storm continues to make its way north up the east coast,

Although the storm is expected to stay offshore, it will produce dangerous surf conditions for much of the Atlantic Coast this week, forecasters say.

As millions of people along the East Coast prepare for impacts from Hurricane Erin, coastal communities in New Jersey and Delaware are facing dangerous rip currents and high surf risks.

The storm has already prompted evacuation orders on North Carolina's Outer Banks and warnings about dangerous rip currents and swells along the East Coast.

Hurricane Erin brings dangerous rip currents and high surf to Jacksonville beaches, with the Outer Banks under evacuation and local forecasts showing continued hot weather.

Hurricane Erin weakened to a category 3 hurricane during the early hours of Aug. 19 as it moves closer to the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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.

Additional strengthening is expected as the storm is forecast to “remain a large and dangerous major hurricane through the middle of this week,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Erin’s surf and storm surge could cause erosion along sections of the Florida and East Coast and shapes up as potentially worse for North Carolina’s barrier islands, which are under mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the four feet of storm surge and 20-foot offshore waves Erin is expected to bring.