Hurricane Erin's outer bands were beginning to lash the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands early Monday after regaining Category 4 strength overnight.

Hurricane Erin became a catastrophic Category 5 storm before noon on Saturday, Aug. 16, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Erin is expected to produce dangerous surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the East Coast of the U.S., including Florida, and Atlantic Canada next week.

After exploding in strength at a historic rate this weekend, Hurricane Erin is now a sprawling Category 4 storm churning in the Atlantic. The storm’s enormous footprint is becoming the biggest concern as it threatens to drive life-threatening rip currents and towering waves toward the eastern US coastline and Bermuda.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane.

Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change.