Hurricane Erin strengthened Monday and was forecast to expand as the powerful Category 4 storm drenched Caribbean islands and threatened dangerous rip currents along the US East Coast.

In its latest advisory the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin was packing maximum sustained winds of 140 miles (220 kilometers) per hour while moving west-northwest at 10 mph.

Its outer bands were forecast to bring localized downpours across Cuba and the Dominican Republic through Monday as well as the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas -- where a tropical storm warning is in place -- through Tuesday.

These areas could receive localized totals of up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain, according to the NHC.

In Puerto Rico, a US territory of more than three million people, weekend flooding swam

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