Hurricane Earl gains strength in eastern Caribbean
Scott Stripling from the National Hurricane Centre told the BBC what should be expected from Hurricane Earl
A storm moving through the eastern Caribbean has strengthened to a Category Four hurricane, prompting warnings for several islands.
Hurricane Earl is expected to gain more strength before heading towards the US.
Forecasters say it is a major hurricane and could cause "catastrophic" damage if it hits land.
Strong winds and heavy rains are already lashing several islands in Caribbean, but the storm has now passed by the Virgin Islands.
The hurricane is generating sustained winds of 215km/h (135mph).
It is currently north-east of Puerto Rico, and moving west-northwest at about 24km/h, the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports.
The centre of the storm is expected to move away from the Virgin Islands on Monday night and pass to the east of the Turks and Caicos on Tuesday night.
Hurricane warnings in place on several islands in the region have now been degraded.
However, Earl caused heavy rains and flooding in low-lying areas, and it damaged homes on several islands including Antigua and Barbuda.
Several countries reported power outages. Cruise ships were diverted and flights cancelled across the region.
The NHC said it was too early to say what effect Earl would have on the eastern US coast later in the week, but it warned coastal residents from North Carolina to Maine to watch the storm's path.
Earl is being closely followed by Tropical Storm Fiona, currently east of the Leeward Isles with winds of up to 65km/h.
