SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — 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. While the compact hurricane’s center wasn’t expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains as it continued to grow larger.

The first hurricane of the 2025 season has intensified into a Category 4 storm and will turn north just before the U.S. east coast next week. Forecasters are also tracking a new system in the

This early-season intensification is rare, with only a few similar instances in recent history, such as Hurricanes Charley in 2004 and Dennis and Emily in 2005.