Hurricane Erin category 3 weakens

Erin downgraded its intensity to a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour as its outer bands dump heavy rains on Puerto Rico and nearby islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Sunday.

The storm, which on Saturday became a “catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane before losing strength, was on Sunday afternoon about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north-northwest of San Juan and about 320 kilometers (200 miles) east of Grand Turk Island.

Hurricane Erin weakens to category 3

Hurricane Erin could bring rip currents all along the US Southeast coast after pounding Puerto Rico with heavy rain and gusty winds, meteorologists warn. pic.twitter.com/Wgtlcyahiq

– Fox News (@FoxNews) August 17, 2025

The cyclone continues to track in a west-northwesterly direction at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour (13 miles per hour), according to the most recent NHC bulletin.

The same agency forecasts that Erin will strengthen again during the next 48 hours and will remain a dangerous system until mid-week.

The outer bands of Erin will continue to pound Puerto Rico with areas of heavy rainfall through Monday.

Turks and Caicos Islands along with areas of the Bahamas through Tuesday, with accumulations that could reach three to six inches (76 to 152 millimeters) with isolated totals up to 8 inches (about 203 millimeters).

Meteorologists warn of the possibility of flash and urban flooding, along with landslides.

According to the most recent bulletin from the National Hurricane Center, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas remain under a tropical storm warning this Sunday morning.

Erin is expected to maintain its west northwestward motion and its speed is expected to decrease before making a gradual turn to the north on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the NHC forecast track, Erin’s core is forecast to pass east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast of the Bahamas tonight and Monday.

Storm surge generated by Erin will continue to affect parts of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands during the next few days.

These large waves are also expected to extend to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States and the Atlantic coast of Canada early to mid-week.

“These rough ocean conditions will likely cause potentially deadly waves and rip currents,” the NHC warns.

Tropical Storm Erin emerged last Monday and became a hurricane on Friday following the formation in the Atlantic of storms Andrea, Barry, Chantal and Dexter.