SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — 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.

Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now a powerful Category 5 hurricane. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

While the hurricane’s center wasn’t expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Erin has strengthened to a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, according to a special update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm has winds of 160 mph with even higher gusts. Heavy rainfall continues for the Northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico.

Erin has strengthened into a hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, bringing heavy rains that could cause flooding and landslides.

Tropical Storm Erin is still moving quickly westward and is forecast to become a hurricane in a few days over the central tropical Atlantic, the NHC said.

Erin, the first hurricane of the season, is now forecast to become a Category 4 by Sunday. Here's where it could head in the week ahead.

Hurricane Erin was expected to soak the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with heavy rain through the weekend before heading north up the Atlantic.

Erin became the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season as it heads toward the Northern Leeward Islands and later Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

However, the severity of those impacts is unknown at this time. Swells generated by Erin will begin affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the NHC said.