Erin, national hurricane center and Florida
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Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.
Currently, it is not affecting any land masses, but the NHC said the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor the storm.
Tropical Storm Erin formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, forecasters said. The storm could strengthen to become the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season.
Officials in the northern Caribbean are warning of heavy rains and dangerous swells as Tropical Storm Erin approaches the region.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Tropical Storm Erin is churning in the Atlantic Ocean and moving toward the Caribbean, likely to become the season’s first hurricane, a storm with sustained winds above 74 miles per hour.
Hurricane Erin intensifies to Category 4 storm. Dangerous surf, rip currents expected on East Coast.
Hurricane Erin formed Friday and quickly escalated to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The current forecast path has the storm remaining far off the East Coast.