Erin strengthened into a hurricane Friday as the storm continued on a path over the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said. It is the first hurricane to develop in the Atlantic this year, and it was expected to continue gaining strength, potentially growing into a major hurricane.

Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami have been urging people in the Caribbean islands to monitor Erin's progress, warning of the potential for heavy rainfall and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Hurricane Erin is not currently forecast to impact the United States, but meteorologists continue to watch it closely.

As of Friday afternoon, Erin was some 415 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and heading west-northwest at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph,

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