SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Officials in the northern Caribbean warned Thursday of heavy rains and dangerous swells as Tropical Storm Erin approached the region.

The storm is expected to remain over open waters and move north-northeast of islands including Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. British and Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Erin is forecast to become a hurricane by Friday and strengthen into a Category 3 storm by late Saturday, which would mark the first major storm this season.

“Erin is moving into an area of the Atlantic primed for rapid intensification. The waters are incredibly warm,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather.

Tropical-storm force winds could occur in parts of the northern Leeward Islands, th

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