Forecasters said Erin should begin to slowly weaken as it increased wind shear. However, it's predicted to remain a major hurricane until late next week.

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

Despite this, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Erin is growing in size, with tropical-storm-strength winds extending 205 miles from its centre. Storm-related hazards, including flash flooding and landslides, are expected in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.