Erin became a Category 5 hurricane Saturday morning in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean but has now weakened to a Category 2.

Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

Hurricane Erin brings swells to Florida. It's ideal for surfing but dangerous for beachgoers who see blue skies, but don't realize the dangers.

Central Florida will be breezy and warm on Wednesday with lower chances for rain and storms. Our area will see some fast-moving showers with high temperatures in the low 90s Wednesday afternoon. Winds will blow from the north-northwest at speeds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph.

You want to have your umbrella handy around the time you leave the office on Wednesday as thunderstorm chances increase in the afternoon. The tropics also remain active as Hurricane Erin has makes its turn to the north in the Atlantic as it passes east of Florida.

Hurricane Erin is over 500 miles away from South Florida as of Wednesday afternoon, but the extreme size of the storm is still impacting the wind direction locally, and spreading wildfire smoke across the area.

Increased rain chances and cloud cover across the state will help keep conditions slightly “cooler” than some of the last few weeks.

Don't expect Florida temperatures to drop dramatically. Highs are forecast to range from the upper 80s into the low to mid 90s by the end of the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

A woman in Florida was surprised to find an unexpected guest waiting outside her garage door last month. Jennifer Lamanca Kaufman told Storyful she spotted the small alligator standing right by her garage door when she left her house on the morning of July 6.