SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Erin exploded in strength and became a major storm in Atlantic waters just north of the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day and bringing heavy rains and high winds to islands in the region.

The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, Erin reached Category 5 status before weakening somewhat and becoming a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Late at night the center reported that Erin was “undergoing structural changes” but was still “formidable” as its rain and winds buffeted Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The storm’s center was about 145 miles (230 kilometers) north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was head

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