Hurricane Erin’s intensification was extraordinary, with an 85 mph jump in just 24 hours. That makes it one of the fastest Category 1 to Category 5 transitions ever recorded in the Atlantic. It even slightly surpassed Hurricane Lee’s 2023 leap of about 80 mph in 24 hours, placing Erin in rare company.

Hurricane Erin raced from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm. If Erin keeps ramping up, is there a Category 6?

Over the weekend, northern portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are expected to receive tropical rain ranging from 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides will be the main concerns over the next several days.

5 p.m. Update: Erin is now organizing and strengthening over the Central Atlantic. Erin is expected to become at least a Catgory 3 hurricane but missing Puerto Rico to the north and staying well east of Florida. It is expected to reach Jacksonville’s latitude about early Wednesday, resulting in some rough seas and surf at area beaches next week.

Invest 97L, an area of low pressure associated with tropical wave now has a high probability of developing next week.