Hurricane Erin remains Category 3
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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,
"Erin will be a large and powerful hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean this weekend," the National Hurricane Center said.
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.
A hurricane might form in the Atlantic Ocean by the end of this week, according to the National Weather Service. The storm, which would be named Hurricane Erin, has a 90% chance of becoming a cyclone within the next seven days.