Hurricane Erin strengthens to Category 5: Here’s the path and the areas that could be affected in the coming days

Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, continued to intensify Saturday, reaching Category 5 strength as it passed north of the Leeward Islands, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.

As of 5 p.m. EST, Erin was located about 135 miles north-northwest of Anguilla and 175 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, moving westward at 15 mph.

Overnight, Erin weakened and was downgraded to Category 4 strength and has continued to lose intensity although meteorological services forecast the storm to fluctuate during the next 24 to 48 hours. Now classified as Category 3, Erin is expected to remain a major hurricane until Wednesday or Thursday.

Power cuts and flights canceled in Puerto Rico

Outer bands from the storm have been lashing Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rain and strong wind gusts.

According to Infobae, at least 20 flights were canceled Saturday from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to St. Croix, Tortola, St. Thomas and Vieques. The affected flights were operated by CapeAir, InterCaribbean Airways, and JetBlue.

For now, Erin is not expected to hit land but its effect will be felt on nearby islands, where warnings of possible flooding and landslides remain in place.

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