Hurricane Erin intensifies to category 5, moving through north-east Caribbean

Erin not expected to make landfall, though nearby islands, including Puerto Rico, brace for flooding

Hurricane Erin has intensified into a category 5 storm as it churns its way over the Atlantic, brushing past islands in the north-east Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC), in Miami, said on Saturday that Erin - which it described as catastrophic" - was still not expected to hit land in the US and would swerve away, but forecasters have warned that strong winds and heavy rain could cause flooding and landslides on nearby islands.