Hurricane Erin is forecast to continue growing in size, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 50 miles from its center.

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,

"Erin will be a large and powerful hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean this weekend," the National Hurricane Center said.

Erin developed in the eastern Atlantic, moving westward from the Cabo Verde Islands at about 20 mph (32 km/h). Infrared sensors on NOAA's GOES-19 satellite reveal colder cloud tops and deep convection near the center — signs of a strengthening system feeding on warm ocean waters.

A hurricane might form in the Atlantic Ocean by the end of this week, according to the National Weather Service. The storm, which would be named Hurricane Erin, has a 90% chance of becoming a cyclone within the next seven days.

Hurricane Erin is forecast to remain well offshore but still bring hazardous currents and possible erosion like previous offshore hurricanes before it.

Erin has become a Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm Saturday in the Caribbean,