Tropical Storm Erin is approaching Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides

Tropical Storm Erin is still moving quickly westward and is forecast to become a hurricane in a few days over the central tropical Atlantic, the NHC said.

After forming Monday morning in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Erin has officially strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season. The storm spun to life just west of Africa’s Cabo Verde Islands.

Hurricane Erin has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane but is gaining in size and raising the risk of life-threatening surf later this week along the U.S.

The peak intensity is now expected at a strong Cat 3 with winds of 125 mph. The storm will miss a direct hit to the Windward Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola. Once the system is north of Puerto Rico,

Implications for the Leeward Islands: Residents and visitors in St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the northern Leeward Islands should monitor this system throughout the week. Even if the wave remains weak, increased moisture could bring showers, gusty winds and higher seas toward the end of the week.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

Much of North Carolina’s Outer Banks region is under a tropical storm watch with Hurricane Erin expected to skirt the area Wednesday through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.