Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,

Regardless of Erin's track, rough surf and rip currents will pose a significant hazard to beaches throughout the Antilles, eastern U.S., Bermuda, and possibly Atlantic Canada as the hurricane both strengthens and grows in size over the next week.

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