Hurricane Erin: Met Office Warns of Possible UK Impact
Hurricane Erin is on the move, and Britain could soon feel its effects.
The storm has already left devastation in its path. On the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, Cape Verde, a state of emergency was declared. Around 1,500 people were forced to leave their homes, and nine lives were lost.
The Met Office has confirmed that Erin is strengthening in the Atlantic and will likely escalate into a “major hurricane” within days.
Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, is now a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph pic.twitter.com/4vQcAtLs6G
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 16, 2025
Meteorologist Alex Burkill explained, “Tropical Storm Erin, which is expected to strengthen pretty soon, is currently a tropical storm.
Very soon it’s going to become a hurricane as it pushes its way west, northwestwards, and then as we go through the weekend, it’s likely to become a major hurricane.”
So what does this mean for the UK? Erin’s path is still uncertain, but forecasters say the storm could play a big role in shaping the Bank Holiday weather.
Burkill said: “High pressure building across the country could bring some pretty fine weather to many places … [But] we could see some very unsettled weather instead.
What I think looks likely is Erin will come across the Atlantic, is going to push in. There’s likely to be a ridge of high pressure building before it comes towards us, so we will have weather settling down for a little while.”
The Met Office added that temperatures should stay above average across most of the UK, with the possibility of further hot spells in the south.
A spokesperson said: “Overall, temperatures look to remain above average, with the potential for some further hot spells, especially in the south.
One of the determining factors of the forecast through this period will be the behaviour of what is currently Tropical Storm Erin as it progresses into the North Atlantic; this being a quite typical source of uncertainty in late summer.
Beyond Monday, the forecast becomes more uncertain, largely due to developments in the Atlantic. Tropical storm Erin is currently moving towards the United States, and its eventual path could influence UK weather.”
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Centre has warned that Erin could strike the Leeward Islands, Bermuda, or parts of the US east coast. Its unpredictability is keeping meteorologists on high alert.
For now, the UK sits in wait. A warm, settled Bank Holiday is still possible. But Hurricane Erin could just as easily sweep in and turn it into a washout.
