SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday, its outer bands lashing the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, as forecasters warned the storm was rapidly growing in size and would gain new strength.

While Erin’s maximum winds diminished, its overall size grew and forecasters issued tropical storm warnings for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas. The hurricane’s outer bands were pelting parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds during the day.

The storm wasn’t expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, but by doubling or tripling in size it could bring rip currents all along the coast. Gusty winds and flooding tides could wash out parts of the highway that connects the North Carolina Ou

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