Hurricane Erin has rapidly intensified into a rare category five hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 160mph (260km/h), and expected to gain even more strength.

Forecasters say Hurricane Erin has exploded into a Category 5 storm in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Caribbean.

Tropical Storm Erin’s path puts some homeowners at heightened risk, as the storm starts building into a hurricane tracked by meteorologists. While there is no longer a risk of a short-lived tropical depression or storm forming in the southwestern Gulf, pockets of heavy rain could still trigger flash flooding into the weekend.