Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season Friday (Aug. 15) morning, strengthening as it moves toward the northeast Caribbean and prompting tropical storm watches for parts of the northern Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Erin has passed over the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands, including Sint-Maarten, Saba, and Sint-Eustatius, as a Category 4 storm, causing minimal structural damage but prompting widespread safety warnings,

Tropical Storm Erin is continuing to gain strength, and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expect the system to become the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.