Hurricane Erin has passed over the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands, including Sint-Maarten, Saba, and Sint-Eustatius, as a Category 4 storm, causing minimal structural damage but prompting widespread safety warnings,

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.

Tropical Storm Erin has begun strengthening as it streaks west across the Atlantic and is on track to reach hurricane status as soon as Friday, prompting tropical storm watches in the northern Leeward Islands.