Liputan6.com, Jakarta Hurricane Erin 2025 has become a major highlight of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, displaying incredible strength, having peaked as a Category 5 hurricane.
This powerful tropical cyclone is currently significantly impacting Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos, and has triggered warnings in various other regions.
As the fifth named storm, the first hurricane, and the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Erin 2025 has caused extensive damage and widespread disruption.
Authorities are closely monitoring the storm's progress, issuing warnings and evacuation orders for residents in its predicted path.
The impacts of Hurricane Erin 2025 are not limited to strong winds and heavy rains, but also the threat of deadly surf and rip currents along the coast.
Meteorological Developments and Intensification of Hurricane Erin 2025
Hurricane Erin, 2025, originated as a tropical wave that formed on August 11, 2025, as it passed over Cabo Verde.
This precursor storm caused intense flooding and nine fatalities in São Vicente, Cabo Verde, with rainfall exceeding 178 mm in five hours.
The government of Cabo Verde immediately issued a disaster declaration for São Vicente and Santo Antão.
On the same day, August 11 at 15:00 UTC, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated the system a tropical storm and named it Erin.
The storm continued to strengthen, and on August 15, 2025, as it approached the Lesser Antilles, Erin became the first storm of the 2025 Atlantic season to reach full hurricane status.
Very favorable atmospheric conditions allowed Erin to undergo explosive intensification on August 16, 2025.
The storm peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 260 km/h and a pressure of 915 mb.
Erin's 24-hour intensification was recorded as the largest of any Atlantic hurricane based on the decrease in central pressure before September 1.
Hurricane Erin 2025 Impacts and Current Status
On the evening of Sunday, August 18, 2025, Hurricane Erin 2025 strengthened again to a Category 4 hurricane after weakening to a Category 3.
As of 11:00 PM ET on August 18, Erin had maximum sustained winds of 209 km/h.
The center of the storm was approximately 209 km east-northeast of Grand Turk Island and was moving northwest at 19 km/h.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) also advised the central Bahamas, the North Carolina Outer Banks, and Bermuda to continue monitoring Hurricane Erin 2025, as it was expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of the week.
Heavy winds and rain have already battered the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, leaving more than 147,000 customers without power in Puerto Rico as of Sunday morning.
Erin underwent rapid intensification as it barrelled towards the Caribbean on Saturday, with NHC director Mike Brennan telling a briefing that it had "explosively deepened and intensified" after growing from tropical storm strength on Friday.
Flight cancellations also occurred, including interCaribbean Airways flights to and from Grand Turk and South Caicos on August 18, 2025.
Although Hurricane Erin 2025 is not expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, its increasing size significantly increases the risk of deadly waves and rip currents.
Coastal flooding and ocean overtopping are expected in Dare County, North Carolina, from August 19 to August 21, 2025, with the possibility of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island being impassable.
A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for visitors and residents of Hatteras Island.
2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season: Context and Predictions
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will end on November 30.
Prior to Hurricane Erin 2025, several other named storms had formed, including Tropical Storms Andrea, Barry, Chantal, and Dexter.
Erin was the strongest system of the year to date, reaching Category 5 strength.
The 2025 hurricane season is expected to be very busy, with six to ten storms predicted, with three to five of them reaching major hurricane status, as reported by BBC.