Early Monday, the storm strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph as it approached the southeastern Bahamas, the NHC reported.

Erin was a Category 3 hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean late Monday Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. Erin is the fifth named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2025. Follow our coverage here.

The monster storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph (225 kph) maximum sustained winds early Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.