Downgraded Hurricane Erin lashes Caribbean with rain

Washington: Offshore Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 storm early Sunday, as rain lashed Caribbean islands and weather officials warned o...

Washington: Offshore Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 storm early Sunday, as rain lashed Caribbean islands and weather officials warned of possible flash floods and landslides.

The first hurricane of what is expected to be a particularly intense Atlantic season, Erin briefly strengthened into a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm before its windspeeds weakened.

It is expected to lash several Caribbean islands with heavy rain and strong winds but not make landfall.

Hurricane Erin was located about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 0600 GMT, when it was gauged as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles (205 kilometers) per hour, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).

"The core of Erin is expected to pass to the east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas tonight and Monday," the NHC said in its latest report, noting that it anticipated additional fluctuations in the storm's intensity.