Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

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,

Over the weekend, northern portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico are expected to receive tropical rain ranging from 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. Flash flooding, landslides and mudslides will be the main concerns over the next several days.

Hurricane Erin could 'at least double or triple in size' next week and the track has shifted south, but remains likely to turn away from the East Coast.

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 is now a rare Category 5, churning through the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean.

Hurricane Erin has strengthened to a dangerous Category 5 storm, but remains on track to just send dangerous surf and rip currents to the Jersey Shore.

Hurricane Erin is passing the Caribbean to its north as a powerful Category 5 cyclone. The hurricane is expected to maintain its intensity for the next several days, while generating dangerous waves along the Southeast coast.

Spaghetti models predict Erin will skirt the U.S. East Coast by hundreds of miles as it moves north through next week.