Hurricane Erin weakens to Category 3
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The first hurricane of 2025 in the Atlantic continued to track north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, hitting those islands with heavy rain and gusty winds. Erin is expected to move away from the islands later today and begin to curve more to the north.
Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.
The storm is not currently forecast to hit land, but its strong winds are impacting nearby islands, prompting warnings of possible flooding and landslides.
Hurricane Erin could be near the southeast portion of Florida by Monday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. ET. This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands as winds and heavy rains continue to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Erin, which quickly strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Saturday, is not expected to make landfall in the U.S., but experts remain on alert.
Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,
Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.
Over the weekend, northern portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are expected to receive tropical rain ranging from 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides will be the main concerns over the next several days.
Tropical storm Erin was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Friday—and evolve into a major hurricane over the weekend.
Hurricane Erin is forecast to continue growing in size, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 50 miles from its center.