The hurricane center warned that heavy rain in some areas could trigger flash flooding, landslides and mudslides.

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 U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Even more hurricanes are rapidly intensifying in the Atlantic as the oceans and atmosphere warm in response to fossil fuel pollution and the global warming it causes.