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.

A new system has emerged in the eastern tropical Atlantic, heading westward toward the Leeward Islands as Hurricane Erin continues to spin.

Erin made an explosive debut, taking the mantle as the first hurricane and first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm surged in strength over the weekend, becoming a powerful Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds hitting 160 mph at its peak.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two disturbances in the Atlantic—the first poised to approach the northern Leeward Islands later this week and the second near the Cabo Verde Islands—while Hurricane Erin, now a Category 3, heads away from the Caribbean.

Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

Hurricane Erin will continue to strengthen as it approaches the Leeward Island and Puerto Rico, where it will threaten with tropical downpours, pounding surf and strong winds.