More than 150,000 people were left without power in Puerto Rico after high winds damaged electricity lines, according to local energy company Luma.

But the firm said it had carried out emergency repairs and that by Sunday evening local time, 95% of its customers had working electricity.

The hurricane’s outer rain bands have started to affect the Bahamas, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

While the storm is not expected to hit the islands directly, the country’s Disaster Risk Management Authority encouraged residents to prepare.

Its managing director, Aarone Sargent, told Bahamians to check which shelters were nearest to them and to ensure they knew of alternative shelters should the first one be full.

“These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement,” he said.

The NHC forecast is for the core of Erin to pass to the east of the south-eastern Bahamas today and move between Bermuda and the eastern coast of the US by the middle of the week.

It also said that Erin would remain “a large and dangerous hurricane” through this time.

The Outer Banks – a string of islands off the coast of North Carolina – are already bracing for heavy surf and high winds.

The authorities there have ordered a mandatory evacuation of Hatteras Island, warning that the main highway linking Hatteras to other islands could become impassable.

Forecasters have also warned of dangerous rip tides which could affect the entire US East Coast.