Hurricane Erin has turned into a Category 5 storm, rapidly powering up over the course of 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

Tropical Storm Erin is slightly intensifying and forecast to become a hurricane Friday with a chance of ultimately affecting the U.S. East Coast next week.

Tropical Storm Erin, now spinning far out in the central Atlantic Ocean, could undergo rapid intensification into a powerful 125-mph hurricane.