(MENAFN) Hurricane Erin intensified to a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm on Saturday as it approached the Caribbean, prompting warnings of flash floods and landslides from meteorologists. According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Erin’s maximum sustained winds reached 160 mph by late morning.

The hurricane, the first of the Atlantic season this year, was located about 105 miles northeast of Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands, which include the US and British Virgin Islands. Tropical storm watches remain in effect for St Martin, St Barthelemy, and Sint Maarten.

Erin’s center is projected to pass just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the weekend, bringing up to six inches of rain in isolated areas. The NHC warned of “locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides.”

The storm is generating dangerous swells that will affect the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend. These swells are expected to reach the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the US East Coast early next week, creating life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Meteorologists forecast that Erin will turn northward by late Sunday and is likely to remain offshore of the US, though coastal areas such as North Carolina could still face hazardous waves and erosion.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be more intense than average. Scientists link the increased strength and rapid intensification of storms like Erin to climate change and rising sea temperatures caused by fossil fuel emissions.

The NHC, operated by NOAA, has faced budget cuts and staff reductions under President Donald Trump’s administration, raising concerns about potential gaps in storm forecasting.

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