Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — 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. While the compact hurricane’s center wasn’t expected to hit land, it threatened to dump flooding rains as it continued to grow larger.