The National Hurricane Center issuing a Tropical Storm Watch and Storm Surge Watch for the North Carolina Outer Banks.

Hurricane Erin's Current Position and Speed:

LOCATION...24.0N 71.3W

ABOUT 695 MI... SW OF BERMUDA

ABOUT 815 MI... SSE OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 310 DEGREES AT 10 MPH.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...937 MB...27.67 INCHES

Watches/Warnings in Effect:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Turks and Caicos Islands

* Southeast Bahamas

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...

* Cape Lookout to Duck, North Carolina

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...

* Central Bahamas

* Beaufort Inlet to Duck, North Carolina including Pamlico Sound

As of the 5 p.m. Advisory, the center of Hurricane Erin was located near latitude 24.0 North, longitude 71.3 West. Erin is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph. A turn to the north is expected on Tuesday. On the forecast track, the core of Erin is expected to pass to the east of the southeastern and central Bahamas today and tonight and move between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States by the middle of the week.

Erin is an unusually large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 937 mb (27.67 inches).

Operation Storm Watch