Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds on Monday night as it passed to the east of the Bahamas. The forecast track keeps the center of the storm well away from the U.S. East Coast this week, but tropical storm and storm surge watches have been issued for the North Carolina Outer Banks. National Hurricane Center

Erin's outer bands will start grazing the Outer Banks on Wednesday night, with increasing wind gusts of 40-60 mph.

Although the storm is expected to stay offshore, it will produce dangerous surf conditions for much of the Atlantic Coast this week, forecasters say.

On Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA released a fire weather watch valid from Thursday 9 a.m. until Saturday 9 p.m. The watch is for Cuyama Valley, San Luis Obispo County Mountains,

Forecasters predicted the storm would peak Thursday and said it will slowly weaken over the next few days while turning farther out to sea.

The NWS Wakefield VA released an updated tropical storm watch at 4:58 p.m. on Tuesday in effect until Wednesday at 1 a.m. for Eastern Currituck.

An updated fire weather watch was released by the NWS Hanford CA on Monday at 7:50 p.m. valid from Wednesday 9 a.m. until Saturday 9 p.m. for Fort Tejon.

The Seattle Storm looks to strengthen its grasp on the No. 8 seed in the WNBA playoffs on Tuesday at Wintrust Arena to take on the Chicago Sky.

A tropical storm watch was issued by the NWS Newport/Morehead City NC on Monday at 4:50 p.m. in effect until Tuesday at 2 a.m. for Ocracoke Island.