Erin, 1st Atlantic hurricane of the season, expected to become major storm this weekend

The first Atlantic hurricane of the year is here as Erin strengthened to a Category 2 storm Friday night.

The first Atlantic hurricane of the year is here as Erin strengthened to a Category 2 storm Friday night.

Erin, swirling in the open water of the tropical Atlantic about 195 miles east-northeast of Anguilla, will strengthen in the coming days and is forecast to become a major hurricane "later in the weekend," the National Hurricane Center said in an early Saturday advisory.

The storm has 100 mph maximum sustained winds and is moving west-northwest at 17 mph. Erin’s center is expected to move just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend, the hurricane center said.

Rain from the storm was starting affect the Northern Leeward Islands, while hurricane-force winds (74 to 95 mph) are racing as far as 30 miles from its center and tropical storm-level winds (39 to 73 mph) are being pushed as far as 125 miles away, federal forecasters said.

The storm hit Category 1 status Friday morning before graduating to Category 2 late Friday, which requires sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph. A major hurricane is at least a Category 3, which has sustained winds of 111 to 129 mph.