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.

Hurricane Erin exploded in strength to a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean on Saturday, rapidly powering up from a tropical storm in a single day, the National Hurricane Center said.

Erin is the first hurricane to develop over the Atlantic this year, and meteorologists are closely tracking its path and forecast.