Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday and continues to intensify, forecasters said.

In the next 48 hours, Erin was expected to continue its rapid strengthening and was on a projected path just north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph extend outward up to 30 miles from Erin ...

The storm is about 150 miles northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. It is moving west-northwest at 20 mph and is not expected to hit land, although strong winds are affecting nearby islands.

Erin has become a Category 3 hurricane in the Caribbean, with expectations to strengthen further on Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Erin became the first hurricane of the season Friday morning, and is expected to develop into a major Category 3 storm this weekend then intensify further as it passes to the north of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic,