Hurricane Erin quickly exploded from a storm of category 3 to a huge category 5 during the night and is on the way to curved north between the east coast of the United States and Bermuda next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The largest hurricane was about 135 miles north of the northwest of Anguilla and about 175 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday afternoon, the Hurricane Center pointed out in an update at 5 pm et. It was headed west to 15 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
Erin will generate great and powerful waves that are forecast will affect Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Marine Islands of the North, according to the Hurricane Center.
The speed is expected to decrease and change the west-west on Saturday night, then turn north at the beginning of next week, since it passes north of the Sleeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend. The storm will pass east of the Turkish and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas on Sunday night and Monday.
Those in the Northern Marine Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States and British, Puerto Rico and southeast of Bahamas should monitor the storm, said the Hurricane Center.
It is still an important hurricane (category 3 or higher) to the middle of the week.
“Intensity fluctuations are expected tonight until Sunday night,” said the Hurricane Center in an update at 5 pm on Saturday.
It is not forecast that the storm will hit land, but its strong winds are affecting the nearby islands, which causes warnings of possible floods and landslides, said Associated Press.
According to the Hurricanes Center, there are tropical storm watches in force for St. Martin, Sint Maarten, St. Barts and the Turkish and Caicos Islands. A tropical storm warning for Atlantic waters in Puerto Rico was also issued, according to the National Meteorological Service Field Office in San Juan.
The video that circulated on social networks showed palm trees in St. Croix blowing in the strong winds that already point to the Virgin Islands of the United States on Saturday afternoon.
Those in the islands of Leeward, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands can expect strong rains with the possibility of 2 to 6 inches, said the Hurricane Center.
In Sint Maarten, St. Martin’s Dutch half, there is a flood warning and a small plane, according to the country’s government.
“We urge all residents and visitors to exercise caution and remain alert,” warned the country’s government, highlighting areas prone to floods, including Arch Road and Beacon Hill Road.
The Virgin Islands also have flood surveillance until Monday night, according to the Government’s house.
“At the local level, considerable floods of flash and urban are possible, along with landslides or landslides,” said the Hurricane Center.
Urban flood warnings were issued and small for the islands of St. Thomas and St. John until 6 pm, standard Atlantic time on Saturday, according to the field office of the weather service in San Juan.
The Hurricanes Center warned that surfers and brim currents that mortalize life could hit the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States and the Atlantic of Canada next week.
“These rough conditions of the ocean will probably cause potentially fatal brings and currents,” said the center.
Erin is the fifth storm to be named in the Hurricanes del Atlántico 2025 season, but the first to reach the state of hurricanes, Associated Press reported. The hurricane season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30.
The storm is the only category 5 hurricane registered to form this early in the hurricane season, and the only category 5 observed outside the Gulf or Caribbean at the beginning of the year. It is also the 11th category 5 hurricane in the last decade.
This year’s hurricanes season is now the fourth consecutive season with a category 5 hurricane.
Steve Strouss, Christine Rapp, Leslie Ignacio and Rebecca Cohen contributed.
