Hurricane Erin exploded into a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday (local time), strengthening from a tropical storm in just 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

Although the compact storm’s centre is not expected to hit land, Erin threatens the northeast Caribbean with heavy rain and possible flooding as it grows larger.

Erin is the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025. By late Saturday morning, its sustained winds more than doubled to 160 mph (255 kph).

Mike Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, described Erin as a “very powerful hurricane.” He said its winds gained 60 mph (96 kph) in intensity within about nine hours on Saturday.

RISING INTENSITY OF HURRICANE

“We expect to see Erin peak here in intensity relatively soon,” Brennan said during an online briefing.

Forecasters said Erin should weaken late Saturday or early Sunday due to stronger wind shear and dry air. However, it is expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, Erin was 110 miles (180 kilometres) north of Anguilla, moving west at 16 mph (26 kph). The storm is forecast to pass 145 miles (233 kilometers) north of Puerto Rico, according to the National Weather Service.

Tropical storm watches were issued for St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. The Hurricane Center warned of flash flooding, landslides and mudslides in some areas. Tropical-storm force wind gusts are also possible in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas.

Currently, hurricane-force winds extend 30 miles (45 kilometres) from Erin’s center. Forecasters expect the storm to double or even triple in size in the coming days.

Even with its eye staying offshore, Erin could create strong rip currents along the U.S. East Coast from Florida to the mid-Atlantic next week, Brennan said.

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With inputs from Associated Press