Shortly after reaching its peak intensity, Erin passed 105 miles (170 km) east-northeast of Bermuda, its closest approach to the island. The hurricane maintained peak strength for 18 hours before slowly weakening. Its weakening trend was slower than usual due to warmer than usual water temperatures, and by late on September 10 Erin weakened to a Category 2 hurricane. Multiple short-wave troughs weakened the western portion of the subtropical ridge, and on September 11, Erin decelerated as it turned to the east. A strengthening mid- to upper-level trough over eastern Canada turned the hurricane to the northeast. It gradually accelerated its forward motion, and on September 15, after weakening to a strong tropical storm, Erin passed just east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Convection gradually diminished as it moved through the north Atlantic Ocean, and later on September 15, Erin transitioned into an extratropical storm. The extratropical storm continued northeastward, and after crossing over southern Greenland, Erin's remnant merged with a high-latitude cyclonic flow to the east of Greenland on September 17.