Hurricane Erin becomes a Category 4 as it rapidly intensifies in the Atlantic

Hurricane Erin is rapidly intensifying as it tracks above the northeastern Caribbean Saturday, churning up rough surf and sending rain and gusty winds to islands south of its path.

Erin was a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph as of Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Erin is located about 150 miles northeast of Anguilla, the National Hurricane Center notes.

The storm is passing just north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend while making a gradual turn toward the north. It’s unlikely it will make a direct landfall on any of the northeastern Caribbean islands, though tropical alerts are in place for some of these areas cautioning potential threats.

Erin is forecast to track north over the western Atlantic nex