Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 5 cyclone as it stayed safely north of the Caribbean islands over the weekend.

Hurricane Erin could 'at least double or triple in size' next week and the track has shifted south, but remains likely to turn away from the East Coast.

A westward-moving tropical wave could produce an area of low pressure in the tropical Atlantic late in the week of Aug. 18, the hurricane center said on Aug. 16. The center shows a 20% chance of storm formation over the next week.

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm on Saturday and is headed north through the Atlantic, where it's expected to miss the U.S., but bring dangerous conditions to coastal areas.

Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now forecast to become a Category 4 by Sunday. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.