Hurricane Erin pelted parts of the Caribbean and was forecast to create dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands as winds and heavy rains continue to lash the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Erin rapidly strengthened into one of the fastest intensifying storms in Atlantic history, briefly reaching Category 5 before weakening to a Category 4 as it tracks north of the Caribbean.

The first hurricane of 2025 in the Atlantic continued to track north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Sunday morning, hitting those islands with heavy rain and gusty winds. Erin is expected to move away from the islands later today and begin to curve more to the north.

U.S. shores are unlikely to see a direct hit, but a strong offshore hurricane can produce massive and dangerous waves well away from its center.

Hurricane Erin, the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, rapidly intensified Friday night, with the storm now reaching Category 5 strength with sustained winds of 160 mph.

After completing an eye wall replacement cycle, Hurricane Erin has now restrengthened to a Category 4 hurricane. Erin had max sustained winds of 130 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an update on Sunday evening.