couple more days, officials say, as the the storm heads north. The storm has already soaked parts of the Atlantic coastline, including the North Carolina Outer Banks, a system of barrier islands.

Tropical storm conditions would persist there on Thursday, and start to reach Virginia, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Further north still, including in parts of New England, are warnings of high winds. Although Erin is still not expected to reach land, its effects are being felt in the closure of beaches and the threat of flooding and road closures.

It was still a "large and growing hurricane" with maximum sustained winds of about 105mph (165km/h), the NHC noted. "Life-threatening surf and rip currents will be churning up and down the East Coast through the next couple of days," officials from another organisation, the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote in its own update.

A rip current is a body of water that flows out to sea, potentially dragging humans with it, while the reference to dangerous surf describes powerful waves that could post another threat to swimmers. "Beachgoers should follow advice from lifeguards, local authorities, and beach warning flags," the NWS advised. US weather experts have previously warned that the 2025 hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, could have an above-average number of storms. Warmer sea temperatures - made more likely by climate change - and generally favourable atmospheric conditions, are behind the forecast. At the same time, cuts to American research are raising fears about the ability to track and prepare for these often deadly storms. (BBC)