Hurricane Erin a Category 4
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"Erin will be a large and powerful hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean this weekend," the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters are tracking a new disturbance in the Atlantic Ocean as Hurricane Erin, a Category 5 storm, undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle, according to a Saturday night update from the National Hurricane Center.
As Erin continues to churn over very warm water, the storm will gain quick momentum and will likely become the first major hurricane (a category 3, 4 or 5 storm) as early as this weekend as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico.
Erin developed in the eastern Atlantic, moving westward from the Cabo Verde Islands at about 20 mph (32 km/h). Infrared sensors on NOAA's GOES-19 satellite reveal colder cloud tops and deep convection near the center — signs of a strengthening system feeding on warm ocean waters.