Hurricane Erin weakened to a category 3 hurricane during the early hours of Aug. 19 as it moves closer to the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin, after strengthening into a Category 5 storm early Saturday, weakened to Category 3 by Sunday morning and has taken a track slightly more south than originally forecast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday, its outer bands lashing the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, as forecasters warned the storm was rapidly growing in size and would gain new strength.

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm Saturday, Aug. 16, but winds decreased to 125 mph by Sunday morning, Aug. 17. Erin is still a major Category 3 hurricane and growing in size, according to the National Hurricane Center.

An Atlantic disturbance now has a 50 percent chance of cyclone formation, according to the National Hurricane Center.