Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph as its outer bands pounded the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with gusty winds and heavy rains early Sunday.

As of Saturday night, Hurricane Erin had weakened into a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Fluctuations in the storm's intensity are expected over the next 24 to 48 hours, but Erin is still forecast to remain a major hurricane through at least Wednesday of next week.