Hurricane Erin rapidly strengthened offshore to a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm on Saturday, as rain lashed Caribbean islands and weather officials warned of possible flash floods and landslides.

It quickly powered up from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Erin on Saturday strengthened to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm as it barrelled towards the Caribbean, with weather officials warning of possible flash floods and landslides."Erin is now a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane,