CARIBBEAN-Hurricane Erin is expected to pass near the Leeward Islands on Saturday.

MIAMI, CMC – Hurricane Erin is moving quickly on Friday and is expected to pass near or north of the Leeward Islands on Saturday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC)

It said that the first named hurricane for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was about 425 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Anguilla and Barbuda, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius, as well as Sint Maarten. At the same time, interests elsewhere in the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are asked to monitor the progress of Erin, which is moving towards the west-northwest near 17 mph.

“This motion is expected to continue into the weekend. On the forecast track, the center of Erin is likely to move near or just north of the northern Leeward Islands over the weekend,” the NHC said, that reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts.

“Steady to rapid strengthening is expected during the next two to three days, and Erin is forecast to become a major hurricane during the weekend,” the NHC said, adding that hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles mainly to the north of the center.

The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall tonight into Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Rainfall totals of two to four inches, with isolated totals of six inches, are expected, and the NHC said that “this rainfall may lead to isolated and locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides”.

Swells generated by Erin will begin affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico by this weekend. They will likely spread to the western Atlantic next week.

“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC added.