Powerful Hurricane Erin has undergone a period of astonishingly rapid intensification — a phenomenon that has become far more common in recent years as the planet warms. It was a rare Category 5 for a time Saturday before becoming a Category 4,

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Erin has officially become a hurricane, the first of this season, as it continues its journey across the Atlantic. The storm officially transitioned to a hurricane late Friday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles an hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Tropical Storm Erin is likely to become the first hurricane of the 2025 season by late Thursday or early Friday.