Stronger, bigger Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf along US coast
It reintensified to a Category 4 storm with 130 mph (215 kph) maximum sustained winds late Sunday as its outer bands lashed the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Erin was forecast to bring tropical storm conditions to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas overnight into Monday.
Additional strengthening was forecast for Monday followed by gradual weakening, but Erin was expected to remain a large, major hurricane into midweek.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles (370 km). The area of strong winds is expected to grow more over the next few days. At that size, Erin will impact coastal areas even though it isn't forecast to make a direct landfall.
Dare County, North Carolina, declared an emergency and ordered an evacuation beginning Monday of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks, the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic. Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of N.C. Highway 12 running along the barrier islands, the National Weather Service said.
As of late Sunday, Erin was about 130 miles (205 kilometers) east-northeast of Grand Turk Island and about 965 miles (1,555 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).
Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached an exceedingly dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain powerful for the next several days and grow in size.
'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' said Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Center.
Erin's outer bands pelted parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds during the day Sunday.
That knocked out power to about 147,000 customers, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island. More than 20 flights were canceled due to the weather. The Coast Guard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to reopen Sunday as winds and rains decreased.
Rough ocean conditions were forecast for parts of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos the next couple of days. Life-threatening surf and rip currents were forecast into midweek for the Bahamas, Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast and Canada's Atlantic coast as Erin turns north and then northeast.
Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
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North Wales Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Hurricane Erin forecast to create life-threatening waves along US east coast
Evacuations were being ordered on islands along North Carolina's outer banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall. Authorities warned that some roads could be swamped by waves of 15 feet (4.6 metres). The monster storm intensified to a category four with 140 mph maximum sustained winds early on Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the south-east Bahamas, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami. Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn north east and away from the eastern US, but it is still expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents and could bring tropical force winds to North Carolina coast, said Dave Roberts of the centre. Evacuations were ordered on Monday on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the outer banks, coming at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic Ocean. Coastal flooding was expected to begin on Tuesday and continue through Thursday. There are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway running along the barrier islands, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned. But there were no signs of panic on Hatteras Island, said Angela Tawes, a co-owner of Conner's Supermarket. 'It's so beautiful outside. It's hard for people to feel like there's a hurricane coming when it's so gorgeous,' she said. Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous category five status on Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large, major hurricane into the middle of the week. 'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' the hurricane centre's Richard Pasch said. Early on Monday, the storm was located about 110 miles (180 kilometres) north of Grand Turk Island and about 880 miles (1,400 kilometres) south-east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the south east Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the hurricane centre said. Erin's outer bands hit parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds on Sunday. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapour and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Hurricane Erin brings rough seas as it grows near Atlantic archipelagos
Aug 18 (Reuters) - Residents in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos on Monday braced for the Atlantic season's first hurricane, the Category 4 Erin, after it strengthened over the weekend while sweeping past the Caribbean. Erin has so far not made landfall or caused any major damage. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin was expected to strengthen somewhat on Monday but bypass the northern Atlantic archipelagos. It will likely maintain its force as a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of the week, but avoid contact with Bermuda or the U.S. coast. As of Monday at 1500 GMT, the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) as it skirted north of Hispaniola, the Caribbean's most populous island. Its strength had fluctuated over the weekend, rising on Saturday to Category 5, the highest level of the Saffir-Simpson scale, before landing at Category 4 late on Sunday. "Erin's expanding wind field will result in rough ocean conditions over much of the western Atlantic," the NHC said, saying it would grow larger than its current tropical storm-force winds stretching up to 230 miles (370 km) from its center. Erin is the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic season and the first to reach hurricane status. The last Atlantic storm to reach Category 5 intensity was Hurricane Milton in October last year. The Dominican Republic put its northern coast on alert over the weekend, but had no reports of significant damage. In Turks and Caicos, an overseas British territory, authorities suspended public services on its largest island and told residents in vulnerable areas to pack in case of evacuation. The Bahamas' meteorology department said the islands' southeast, as well as Turks and Caicos, were experiencing tropical storm conditions, and warned that boats should not go out to sea until the end of the week. "The seas could become extremely rough and dangerous during the swells," it said. The NHC warned of strong currents across much of the U.S. and Canadian east coasts in the coming days. BMS meteorologist Andrew Siffert has said Erin may pass offshore along Canada's Maritime Provinces without producing heavy rain, what he called a "gray swan" event. He warned that sustained high winds could raise the risk of wildfires.
North Wales Live
an hour ago
- North Wales Live
Met Office verdict on ex-hurricane Erin spoiling the Bank Holiday break
A hurricane raging 3,000 miles away is set to disrupt the warm and settled conditions seen in Britain for much of the summer. By the time the remnants of Hurricane Erin reach Britain, its fury will have abated but the Met Office has said two outcomes remain possible. Either way, the system is likely to bring much-needed rain to the UK. For those looking for a late summer mini-break, the main question is whether Erin will affect the Bank Holiday weekend. By yesterday, the hurricane had re-strengthened to a Category 4 as it battered Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Thousands of homes were left without power as winds reached up to 130mph. As Erin trundles across the Atlantic, it's like to dwindle to a tropical storm. By the time the system reaches Britain, it's forecast to have developed into a deep area of low pressure. The Met Office said that, from Bank Holiday Monday (August 25), the forecast 'becomes more complex'. The agency said: 'While warmth is likely to persist, the risk of showers and wind increases, and the exact outcome will depend on Erin's trajectory and its interaction with the jet stream. 'One scenario shows a deep area of low pressure to the west, bringing wet and windy conditions similar to Storm Floris. Another builds a ridge of high pressure, suggesting continued settled and warm weather.' Holidaymakers can relax: weather models currently agree that Bank Holiday Monday will escape the worst of the weather by the skin of its teeth. It means a largely fine holiday weekend, with temperatures building again after a largely dry week: GFS forecasts suggest it could even become hot from Sunday (August 24) - they indicate Bank Holiday Monday maximums of 28C in southern and central Britain. Highs of 27C are also predicted in the Welsh border counties. This may be a little optimistic – and the models agree that west Wales is set to remain cooler either way, especially further north. On Tuesday (August 26), the warmth may be more evening spread over Wales as the heat edges across the country. However northwest Wales may still struggle to feel it, having seen temperatures dip since Saturday, August 16, when Porthmadog was the warmest place in the UK (27.4C). And it may not always be dry next weekend. In advance of Erin's arrival, showers are possible in northwest Wales. The first signs of the ex-tropical storm may come on Tuesday morning. The Met Office said its exact path will depend on the jet stream. On some occasions, similar systems like Storm Dexter stalled to the west and drew heat up from the Continent. Storm Floris, on the other hand, brought unsettled weather to northern Britain The Met Office said: 'The key question is where Erin will sit in relation to the jet stream later in the week. From Monday (August 18) onwards , the most likely scenario is a continuation of the weekend's pattern, with high pressure slightly more centred over the UK. This would sustain the warm southerly flow, particularly in the south. 'However, this setup also introduces the potential for more unsettled weather, with cloud and thundery showers drifting north-eastwards. By Tuesday, forecasting becomes more challenging, as the influence of high pressure diminishes and showery conditions increase from the southwest.' As things stand, weather models suggest some rain in Tuesday, August 26, possibly heavy in South Wales. More persistent rain is possible on Wednesday, August 27, and this unsettled theme is set to continue for the rest of the week. On current signals, the Met Office concluded: 'From early to mid-week, high pressure may become increasingly eroded from the west as low pressure and frontal systems start to move in from the Atlantic, leading to more changeable conditions with spells of rain through the remainder of the week. "Temperatures likely warm or very warm to start before trending towards average.'
