Though Hurricane Erin is not forecast to make landfall along the East Coast, the storm is bringing hazardous conditions to the mid-Atlantic region and Maryland beaches, according to forecasters.

Maryland beaches are under a coastal flood advisory until 11 a.m. Thursday, a high surf advisory until 7 a.m. Friday and a high rip current risk through Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Tropical storm-force wind gusts are possible in the mid-Atlantic through early Friday, forecasters said.

“While Ocean City is not in the direct path of Hurricane Erin, the storm’s impacts will be felt along our coastline,” said Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald. “We strongly advise everyone to stay alert, monitor weather updates, and follow all safety advisories.”

Public access to the water at Ocean City remains closed until further notice, according to town officials. Similarly, all ocean-side beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore are closed.

Ocean access remains prohibited at Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach in Delaware, too.

Conditions in the Baltimore region, meanwhile, are expected to clear up by the weekend. Friday and Saturday are both forecast to be sunny with highs around 88 degrees. Cloudy and rainy conditions are forecast to return Sunday.

Erin remains a large hurricane as it heads out to sea

Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome system, with tropical storm-force winds spreading across 500 miles — roughly the distance from New York City to Pittsburgh.

It remained a Category 2 hurricane Thursday morning with maximum sustained winds around 105 mph, the hurricane center said. Erin was about 210 miles east of Cape Hatteras and moving north-northeast at 17 mph.

The hurricane center was also watching two tropical disturbances far out in the Atlantic that could develop into named storms in the coming days. With thousands of miles of warm ocean water, hurricanes known as Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America.

Climate scientists say Atlantic hurricanes are now much more likely to rapidly intensify into powerful and catastrophic storms, fueled by warmer oceans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.