SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – An eyewall replacement cycle is underway within Hurricane Erin as the monster storm continues to barrel across the Atlantic while bringing gusty winds and rain to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after rapidly intensifying into a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane over the weekend.

The first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season rapidly intensified from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph within hours before the storm began to lose some of its intensity but remained extremely dangerous as it began to move north of the Caribbean islands.

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As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Erin remains a major Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph as the storm continues to move off to the west-northwest at 14 mph.

Hurricane Erin is expected to continue to move off to the west-northwest on Sunday with a decrease in forward speed before a gradual turn to the north on Monday and Tuesday.

The center of Hurricane Erin is forecast to pass to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday night and Monday.

Hurricane Erin is currently located about 170 miles to the north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and about 270 miles to the east of Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect.

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A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the southeastern Bahamas.

While the Caribbean islands were spared a direct hit from the catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Erin, conditions remain extremely dangerous over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as outer bands lashed the region with gusty winds and heavy rain.

The NHC said those outer bands will continue to impact the area on Sunday, and forecast rain totals of 3-6 inches, with isolated totals of up to 8 inches, are expected.

While the Caribbean islands haven’t had a direct hit by Hurricane Erin, impacts from the monster storm have been felt across the region.

Newsportual Weather Service office in San Juan has issued severe Flash Flood Warnings for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as the storm scoots by to the north.

So far, at least 9 inches of rain has fallen across Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, with Caguas and Camuy in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands picking up more than 2 inches of rain.

Local officials have urged residents to be aware of possible mudslides and landslides due to the relentless rounds of rain from Hurricane Erin’s outer bands that have been lashing the region.

Squalls with wind gusts to tropical-storm force could also occur over portions of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Sunday.

In addition, tropical-storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area in the Turks and Caicos Islands starting Sunday night, with tropical-storm conditions possible in the watch area in the southeastern Bahamas later Sunday night and Monday.

But it isn’t just the relentless rain and wind that could be life-threatening.

Ocean swells generated by Hurricane Erin will continue to affect portions of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands over the next few days.

Massive swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the East Coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada during the early to middle portion of the workweek.

Those rough conditions will also likely lead to life-threatening rip currents along East Coast beaches.

Will Hurricane Erin hit the US?

Some of Hurricane Erin’s impacts will be felt on the East Coast from Florida to New England, although a direct hit isn’t expected. 

Coastal communities should be on alert for dangerous surf conditions producing massive waves and deadly rip currents through this week.

Such dangerous impacts could lead to beaches being closed, and boaters should be aware of the marine conditions, FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said.

“Hurricane Erin will generate huge waves in the open ocean and impart energy to the water that will radiate toward the coast in the form of strong, long-period swells,” Norcross said. “This energy will create powerful waves capable of eroding beaches and extremely strong and intense ocean currents.”