Hurricane Erin sparks huge waves and evacuations in North Carolina’s Outer Banks

Storm running parallel to east coast is expected to expand in size and generate hazardous rip currents in coming days

Hurricane Erin remained far out at sea on Tuesday, yet it was still producing huge swells, with waves towering 20ft (6 meters) or more and crashing across sand dunes along North Carolina's barrier islands.

The storm was tracking northward, running roughly parallel to the east coast, according to the US's National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami. Though not projected to strike the mainland, Erin is expected to expand in size and generate hazardous rip currents in the upcoming days.