NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft found that Erin is in the middle of an eyewall replacement cycle (ERC). While it is in the stage of an eyewall replacement cycle, Erin has lost a bit of its punch and has been downgraded to a category 3.

Hurricane Erin 2025 rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm over the Atlantic before weakening slightly. While not expected to make US landfall, it threatens the East Coast with dangerous surf and rip currents.

5 p.m. Update: Erin is now organizing and strengthening over the Central Atlantic. Erin is expected to become at least a Catgory 3 hurricane but missing Puerto Rico to the north and staying well east of Florida. It is expected to reach Jacksonville’s latitude about early Wednesday, resulting in some rough seas and surf at area beaches next week.

Invest 97L, an area of low pressure associated with tropical wave now has a high probability of developing next week.

Erin strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Friday morning east of the Caribbean Islands and is expected to keep strengthening through the weekend.

Tropical Storm watches are now in effect for parts of the northern Leeward Islands as Erin is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season by Friday, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.