Federal officials urged US residents to prepare for possible evacuations today while people in the Turks and Caicos Islands hunkered down in their homes as powerful Hurricane Earl howled over open seas toward the East Coast of the US.

Hurricane Earl battered tiny islands across the north-eastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds as it rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm and threatening the US.

Forecasters today said Hurricane Danielle has reached major hurricane status.