Erin becomes a “catastrophic” category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified this Saturday to become a “catastrophic” category 5, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds near 255 kilometers per hour as it advances through the Atlantic, reported the National Hurricane Center (NHC, in English) of the USA.

The cyclone, which gained strength early in the morning, was located about 170 kilometers northeast of Anguilla and 375 kilometers from Puerto Rico, as it continues its westward course at a speed of 28 kilometers per hour. At the moment, Erin is not near land, but authorities have urged the population of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, as well as Turks and Caicos and the southeast Bahamas to closely monitor the progress of the system.

Estimated Path of Erin

According to the forecast track, the center of the hurricane is expected to move just north of the Northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico during the weekend, where the outer bands of the storm are expected to dump heavy rainfall in the coming days, estimates the NHC.

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These rains, with accumulations of between 50 and 100 millimeters (2 to 4 inches), can cause flash floods, urban floods, and landslides. The NHC also warned that the swell generated by Erin will affect the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Turks and Caicos during the weekend. Tropical Storm Erin emerged last Monday and became a hurricane on Friday following the formation in the Atlantic of storms Andrea, Barry, Chantal, and Dexter.