By The Associated Press Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane Sunday as its outer bands continued to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rains and tropical-storm force

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday as its outer bands continued to reach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The first hurricane of 2025 in the Atlantic continued to track north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, hitting those islands with heavy rain and gusty winds. Erin is expected to move away from the islands later today and begin to curve more to the north.

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.

Hurricane Erin won’t make landfall on the Outer Banks but is projected to produce dangerous rip currents along the beaches.

The storm is not currently forecast to hit land, but its strong winds are impacting nearby islands, prompting warnings of possible flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the season Friday morning, and is expected to develop into a major Category 3 storm this weekend then intensify further as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic,