Satellite image of Hurricane Joaquin

An extremely dangerous Hurricane Joaquin was battering Central Bahamas on Friday with winds of 130 miles per hour as it inches slowly towards the northwest.

The Miami-based national Hurricane Centre said that the storm was located about 20 miles north east of Clarence Long Island in the Bahamas and is drifting toward the northwest near three miles per hour.

A faster northward motion is expected to begin later today, followed by a turn toward the northeast and an increase in forward speed tonight and Saturday. On the forecast track, the core of the strongest winds of Joaquin will continue moving over portions of the central and northwestern Bahamas today, the NHC said, adding that Joaquin will begin to move away from the Bahamas tonight and Saturday.

The NHC said that the maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. It described Joaquin as “a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. “Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next 24 hours. Slow weakening is expected to begin on Saturday,” the NHC said.

The authorities in Bahamas were on Friday pleading with residents to remain indoors and take precautions as the storm moves across the chain of islands.

There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries but the hurricane warning remains in  effect for  Central Bahamas, Northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, the Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana in the southeastern Bahamas.

Joaquin is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 12 to 18 inches over the central Bahamas with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches. Rainfall amounts of five to 10 inches are expected over the southeastern Bahamas, with two to four inches over the northwestern Bahamas, eastern Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The authorities warn that the rainfall could result in life-threatening flash floods.

(CMC)