Hurricane Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm Saturday in the Caribbean, where it threatened to dump flooding

Erin is the planet’s second Category 5 storm of 2025, arriving exactly four months after the first one. Cyclone Errol developed off the coast of northwest Australia and rapidly intensified from cat 1 to cat 5 strength in less than 24 hours on April 15–16. Errol then weakened drastically before coming onshore as a tropical low.

Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified Saturday, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane of the Atlantic season after strengthening from a tropical storm in just 24 hours. The National Hurricane Center reported that Erin's maximum sustained winds more than doubled to 160 mph (255 kph) by late Saturday morning.