Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Hurricane Erick, a Pacific storm that made landfall June 19 in Oaxaca, Mexico, also strengthened rapidly, doubling in intensity in less than a day.

A Spirit Airlines plane appears to have flown through Hurricane Erin this week when the hurricane was a Category 4 storm with winds well over 100 mph, according to a flight path shared on social media. Spirit Airlines told Newsweek in a statement that the flight operated normally and no injuries were reported.

Hurricane Erin was a Category 4 storm Monday morning and is expected to retain major hurricane status through the middle of the week.

Hurricane Erin formed Friday and quickly escalated to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The current forecast path has the storm remaining far off the East Coast.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday and continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is 150 miles northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).

Hurricane Erin, the first major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, rapidly intensified Friday night, with the storm now reaching Category 5 strength with sustained winds of 160 mph.

As of the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. advisory, the center of Erin was located about 115 miles north-northeast of Grand Turk Island and 890 miles