Hurricane Erin transforms into horrifying Category 5 storm as Caribbean warned over 12ft waves
A hurricane sweeping through one part of the world has been upgraded to a powerful category five. The rampant hurricane is blistering through the Caribbean as it continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Centre said.
Erin is currently around 150 miles northeast off Anguilla and has seen maximum winds of 157mph as it moves west-northwest at 20mph, AP reports. It's not expected to hit land but strong winds are affecting nearby islands which has prompted forecasters to warn people of possible flooding, landslides and mudslides.
The hurricane was upgraded to a category four on Saturday before again being escalated to a category five meaning winds have reached 157mph.
The Hurricane Centre in Miami has also said it will eventually swerve away from the US. Tropical storm watches are reportedly in place for St Mrtin, St Barts anf St Maarten.
The centre said: 'The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico."
A hurricane specialist has also warned Erin is set to take a sharp turn northeast which would put it on a path between the US and Bermuda.
Michael Lowry told AP: 'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin."
US coastal areas such as North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island and New York all face higher risks of a direct tropical storm or hurricane conditions than other areas of the areas of the coast.
Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is in place from June 1 to November 30, but it is the first to be deemed a hurricane.
The season is expected to be busy, with a forecast of six to ten hurricanes, with as many as half of them expected to reach major status which sees winds of more than 110mph.
ABC reports how parts of North Carolina could see waves of eight to 12 feet, with other parts possibly seeing waves of six feet early next week.
August, September and October are typically the most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season, with the first hurricane usually on August 10.
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