Hurricane Erin tracker: Maps show mega 160mph storm heading straight for tourist hotspot

Maps show where Hurricane Erin is set to strike as forecasters warn the monster storm could strengthen again in the coming days.

Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, has already packed a terrifying punch, exploding into a Category 5 beast on Saturday before weakening slightly to a still-dangerous Category 3 on Sunday.

The storm is currently swirling north of Puerto Rico with sustained winds of 125mph, but experts at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) say it is “likely to strengthen again”. It comes after an exciting heatwave forecast with maps revealing the exact date a 39C heat plume will scorch the UK.

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Tracking maps show Erin steering a path just north of the Caribbean islands and heading west-northwest at around 13mph. The Bahamas, Bermuda and the Outer Banks of North Carolina are all being urged to keep a close watch, with the system expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek.

Tropical storm warnings are already in place for the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the southeastern Bahamas, where heavy rains and fierce winds are lashing communities. The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are facing downpours of up to 8 inches in isolated spots, raising fears of flooding. Dangerous swells are forecast to batter coastlines from Hispaniola to the Turks and Caicos in the coming days.

Although the hurricane is not currently expected to make a direct hit on the US East Coast, its massive size, having doubled in recent days, and could still whip up rip currents, gusty winds and flooding tides as far north as the Carolinas, CBS News reports.

Meteorologist Richard Pasch from the NHC warned: “You’re dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It’s a dangerous hurricane in any event.”

Experts say Erin has been undergoing an “eyewall replacement cycle”, when a storm becomes so powerful it builds a new, larger eye. That can cause a temporary dip in strength, but it often means the hurricane comes back even more intense.

Forecast “spaghetti maps” show Erin tracking northward, skirting the Caribbean islands and staying offshore of the mainland U.S. A strong high-pressure system over the Atlantic and an incoming cold front should steer it away from the Eastern Seaboard, according to CBS meteorologists.

The storm formed last Monday near Africa’s Cabo Verde islands and quickly became the fifth named storm of the season. With hurricane season now nearing its September peak, U.S. weather chiefs are warning of an above-normal year, with as many as 18 named storms expected.

Officials in the region are urging residents not to be complacent. Beaches are already closed in parts of the Virgin Islands, ferry services are being suspended, and emergency shelters have been readied. Even if Erin does not make landfall, forecasters say the knock-on effects could be life-threatening, with treacherous seas, flash floods and landslides possible. The sheer size of the storm means millions could feel its impact, even hundreds of miles from the hurricane’s centre.

For now, all eyes are on Erin’s projected path and whether the storm powers back up to the catastrophic Category 5 strength seen on Saturday.