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

As Erin continues to churn over very warm water, the storm will gain quick momentum and will likely become the first major hurricane (a category 3, 4 or 5 storm) as early as this weekend as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico.

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.

Jean-Raymond Bidlot, senior scientist in ocean modeling at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) told Newsweek that Erin is forecast to strengthen over the next week as it heads toward the U.S. East Coast, reaching peak intensity offshore from Cape Hatteras.

Tropical Storm Erin, now spinning far out in the central Atlantic Ocean, could undergo rapid intensification into a powerful 125-mph hurricane. According to Direct Weather's forecast, ski resorts like Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain may see less snow than usual.

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.

Forecasters say Hurricane Erin has formed in the Atlantic Ocean on track to bring heavy rains that could lead to flooding and landslides in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.