Hurricane Erin quickly grows to Category 5 in Caribbean

(NewsNation) — Hurricane Erin, the archetypal Atlantic hurricane of 2025, has rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 from a tropical tempest successful a azygous time connected Saturday.

With maximum winds of 160 mph, Erin is simply a "catastrophic" hurricane successful the Caribbean, though it is not expected to deed land, the National Weather Service reported.

The hurricane was 105 miles northbound of Anguilla astir 11 a.m. Saturday, moving west. Forecasters expect the storm's halfway to walk northbound of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Tropical tempest watches were issued for St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. The Hurricane Center warned that dense rainfall successful immoderate areas could trigger flash flooding, landslides and mudslides.

Although the hurricane oculus is forecast to stay acold offshore, the United States East Coast whitethorn withstand almighty rip currents.

Erin rapidly grew from a Category 2 to a 5 wrong 9 hours, becoming a “very almighty hurricane," said Mike Brennen, manager of the National Hurricane Center successful Miami, successful an online briefing.

The Atlantic hurricane play runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, and Erin is the archetypal of 5 named storms to go a hurricane.