A tropical rainstorm moving north of the Leeward Islands is forecast to strengthen and could become the next hurricane in the Atlantic after Erin, with Bermuda potentially in its path.

The massive storm is expected to bring coastal flooding and tropical storm conditions to parts of the mid-Atlantic despite not making landfall.

Hurricane Erin battered North Carolina's Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes before slowly moving away.