SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm Saturday in the Caribbean, where it threatened to dump flooding rains as it continued to grow larger and more powerful, the National Hurricane Center said.

The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, Erin exploded from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in a mere 24 hours. By late Saturday morning its maximum sustained winds more than doubled to 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of Category 5 intensity.

“The development of the outer eyewall suggests that rapid intensification should end during the next several hours,” the Hurricane Center said in an advisory. “However, Erin is expected to reach Category 5 status before this occurs.”

The hurricane was located 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Anguilla

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