Hurricane Erin pelted parts of the Caribbean and was forecast to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week.

The storm will remain a major hurricane through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle.

While Hurricane Erin will pass to the east of the U.S., we could still see impacts. Tropical storm force winds extend 200 miles from the center of the storm, as Erin continues to grow in size.