Green flags lined Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, signaling calm conditions. But as Hurricane Erin approaches, officials say things could change in the coming days.

South Florida beachgoers are being warned of life-threatening rip currents that are expected along the coastline next week, as part of the impacts from Hurricane Erin.

Erin has become the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The quick-moving storm expected to become a strong Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph within the next 72 hours, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

Over the weekend, northern portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are expected to receive tropical rain ranging from 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides will be the main concerns over the next several days.

Hurricane Erin has weakened slightly overnight but remains a very strong storm with winds well over 120 mph, making it still a major hurricane. The track remains mostly unchanged. It will start making that northern turn in the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Erin, which had exploded into a Category 5 powerhouse, was downgraded to a Category 3, but rip currents and surf remained "life-threatening" to beachgoers along the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.