Erin: From tropical storm to Category 5 in a day

GREAT BAY--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. It intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours, serving as a stark reminder to Caribbean governments and residents that preparation for such storms must always be at the highest possible level.

Mike Brennen, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Erin had swiftly grown into a “very powerful hurricane,” racing from maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph) to 160 mph (257 kph) in a mere nine hours.

The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, Erin ramped up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in a mere 24 hours. By late Saturday morning, its maximum sustained winds more than doubled to 160 mph (255 kph).

Scientists have linked rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures. The warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.

Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting for meteorologists 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.

Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. It’s the first to become a hurricane.

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