Hurricane Erin is on track to stay offshore but still bring dangerous rip currents to New York and New Jersey beaches.

Don’t be fooled by the nice weather, it’s not safe to swim in the ocean this week, New Jersey officials warned. Hurricane Erin will not hit New Jersey, but it will create dangerous rip currents and waves in the double-digits this week,

High surf and dangerous rip currents are likely. People are advised to stay out of the water this week, even when a lifeguard is on duty.

Jersey Shore beaches are closing to water activities as Hurricane Erin churns offshore, with waves expected to reach up to 10 feet.

Cape Hatteras, NC — Hurricane Erin continued its northward churn through the Atlantic on Tuesday, threatening dangerous surf and coastal flooding from the Bahamas to the U.S. East Coast, as tropical storm warnings and storm surge alerts were issued for parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks ahead of the storm’s closest approach late Wednesday.

“Certainly, Erin is not helping,” said Mike Lee, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly. But the surf on Monday primarily was being stirred by strong onshore winds, gusting up to 35 mph, behind a front that came through Sunday night and triggered surprising downpours in parts of the region.

Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it threatens to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds. Forecasters say the monster storm will turn away from