Hurricane Erin has begun to move away from the North Carolina coast, although beachgoers are still cautioned against swimming at most beaches along the U.S. East Coast due to rough conditions caused by the storm.

According to a 5 a.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center on Aug. 21 , Erin is located about 205 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph with higher gusts, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale .

The hurricane center said Erin is moving toward the north-northeast near 17 mph, with a turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed expected later Wednesday, followed by an acceleration toward the east-northeast on Friday and into the weekend. Gradual weakening

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