Hurricane Erin restrengthens as it lashes Caribbean with rain

Washington: Hurricane Erin restrengthened into a Category 4 storm late Sunday, with forecasters warning it is expected to intensify and grow in size i...

Washington: Hurricane Erin restrengthened into a Category 4 storm late Sunday, with forecasters warning it is expected to intensify and grow in size in the coming days as it lashes Caribbean islands with heavy rains that could cause 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 wind speeds weakened.

Forecasters do not currently expect it to make landfall along its expected course, but tropical storm warnings are in effect for the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Hurricane Erin was located about 130 miles (205 kilometers) east of Grand Turk Island at 11:00 pm Atlantic Standard Time (Monday 0300 GMT), with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles (215 kilometers) per hour, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).

"The core of Erin is expected to pass to the east and northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas overnight into Monday," the NHC said in its latest report.