Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season Friday (Aug. 15) morning, strengthening as it moves toward the northeast Caribbean and prompting tropical storm watches for parts of the northern Leeward Islands.

Erin's intensification in the Atlantic takes it up to a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. It has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane from 2 a.m. on Saturday as a Category 2 up to a Category 4 hurricane at 8 a.

Erin is expected to reach major hurricane intensity this weekend as it tracks just north of the Caribbean islands, where it could bring rain, gusty winds and high surf.Erin's longer-term future through next week is still somewhat uncertain,

The National Hurricane Center expects this storm to gradually strengthen over the next day or so, but also warned of its potential to rapidly intensify within the next 24 to 48 hours.

Tropical Storm Erin formed Monday morning in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. This is the fifth named storm of the 2025 hurricane season. Sign up for our Newsletters As of the 8 a.m. advisory, Erin was located about 520 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.