Hurricane Joaquin barreled toward the Bahamas Thursday as a powerful Category Three storm with sustained winds of 120 miles (195 kilometers) an hour, US weather forecasters said.

The eye of the storm was expected to move near or over the central Bahamas later Thursday on a course that could take it up the east coast of the United States, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

At 0600 GMT, Joaquin was about 35 miles northeast of Samana Cays, Bahamas, moving in a southwesterly at a speed of six miles (nine kilometers) per hour.

The hurricane reached Category Three status late Wednesday, making it a major hurricane, and its winds have only picked up strength since then.

"Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter Aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 120 mph (195km/h) with higher gusts," the NHC said.

"Additional strengthening is forecast today," it said.

Hurricane warnings were up over of the central and northwestern Bahamas, an island chain that at its most northern point sits off the coast of southern Florida.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador in central Bahamas, and the Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence in northwestern Bahamas.

Hurricanes that are Category Three have sustained winds of 111-130 miles per hour that can tear off roofs, fell trees and splinter wood-frame houses.

They can cause coastal flooding and burst river banks because of the torrential rains they typically bring.

This storm was expected to dump up to 20 inches of rain in parts of the central Bahamas, raising the risk of flash floods.

Water levels were expected to rise five to eight feet above normal as a result of the storm surge, according to the NHC.

Forecasters said the storm would be near or over northwestern Bahamas Thursday night or Friday.

The hurricane center also said Joaquin could turn north or northwest Thursday night and Friday, and move along the US East Coast.

The Norfolk Naval Station, the United States' biggest naval base, was put on notice to be ready for the possibility of destructive winds.

Local NBC affiliate WAVY reported that ships were told to be prepared to get underway within 48 hours if necessary.



'Not the first'

Joaquin is the third hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, which began in June and ends in November.

But the most destructive weather pattern so far this year was Tropical Storm Erika, which killed around 30 people and caused extensive damage in August on the small Caribbean island of Dominica.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which began in June and ends in November, usually sees its peak activity in September.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration had predicted a less active hurricane season than usual because of the El Nino phenomenon, which inhibits storm formation.

Forecasters earlier this year also noted the dampening effects of below-average sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic. Hurricane formation is associated with warmer waters.