All eyes will be on major Hurricane Erin this week as the storm begins its northerly track toward the eastern seaboard.

In recent decades, the Atlantic has been warming at record rates, helping hurricanes explode into powerhouses.

While the category 4 storm is not expected to make landfall on the U.S. east coast, it will have an impact nonetheless. Dangerous high surf and rip currents are expected from Florida to New England throughout the week.

Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane but is gaining in size and is forecast to strengthen anew

Hurricane Erin has re-intensified into a category 4 storm on Sunday after completing an eyewall replacement cycle, with the U.S. National Hurricane Center warning of life-threatening surf and rip currents along the U.