The Caribbean closely watches Hurricane Erin, the first major storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season

Heavy rains are expected throughout the weekend; by Monday, the storm is expected to veer north

Originally published on Global Voices

Each year, the Caribbean awaits the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season with a deep sense of unease. While hurricanes have been affecting the region for centuries — with many storms over the last few decades causing major losses in affected territories — research suggests that while the climate crisis has not necessarily increased the number of storms in a typical season, it is making them more intense.

This is concerning news for the small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean archipelago, the citizens of which have long been calling for the climate crisis to be addressed in ways that recognise and respect the resilience of the region’s people.

While the region continues to advocate for itself, however, the storms keep forming. The first hurricane of the 2025 season is Hurricane Erin, which the United States-based National Hurricane Center has categorised as a Category 5 system. This highest level is generally associated with damage that could include major damage to buildings and the isolation of residential communities due to felled trees and electricity infrastructure; at-risk areas may, therefore, need to be evacuated to try and avoid loss of life.

As of August 16, Erin was located just over a hundred miles (about 170 kilometres) north of Anguilla, bringing with it maximum sustained winds of close to 160 miles per hour (255 km/h) with the potential to affect parts of the northern Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos. Heavy rains are expected throughout the weekend; by Monday, the storm is expected to veer north, likely with reduced intensity as it potentially takes in more dry air on account of wind shear.

As with 2024’s Hurricane Beryl, forecasters have commented on Erin’s speedy acceleration from tropical storm to hurricane, which studies are linking to climate change.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s outlook for the current season, which began on June 1, suggests that there may be 13 to 18 named storms, with five to nine becoming hurricanes, and two to five reaching a Category 2 level or higher.

Countries in Hurricane Erin’s path are being advised that sea swells and heavy rains could trigger flash flooding and landslides, though its residents are hoping the storm does not make landfall.