Tropical Storm Erin -- which is forecast to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season by Saturday morning -- won't have a direct impact on the U.S., but it will bring dangerous rip currents to the East Coast.

An Atlantic disturbance now has a 50 percent chance of cyclone formation, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As Erin grows in size, rough ocean conditions will affect a large portion of the western Atlantic. Forecast products may currently underestimate the likelihood of strong winds beyond 36 hours, as Erin’s wind field is larger than the typical storm used to generate those estimates.

A tropical disturbance along the Gulf could develop into a depression before moving into South Texas and northeastern Mexico Friday evening. Any development into a depression would likely be "short-lived," the National Weather Service said.

Hurricane Erin strengthened into a Category 4 storm as U.S. officials warned of dangerous rip currents expected this week.