A ”dangerous” Hurricane Frances gathered strength on Tuesday, putting the Bahamas on alert and prompting some Florida residents to stock up on basic goods.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the south-eastern Bahamas and for the Turks and Caicos islands as Frances moved closer, packing sustained winds of about 215kph.
A hurricane watch means sustained winds of at least 119kph are possible in the area within 36 hours.
Several Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, the United States and British Virgin Islands and Guadeloupe, were warned they may get tropical storm conditions, with winds of between 63kph to 118kph.
At 8am local time, the centre of the hurricane was 325km east-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico and moving west at 24kph.
The long-range forecast, which is subject to a large margin of error, calls for the storm to hit Florida’s south-eastern coast on Saturday with winds of about 220kph.
The south-eastern US state is still trying to recover from Hurricane Charley, which hit earlier this month, killing at least 20 people.
Officials in coastal areas, including Miami, pointed out that such storms are largely unpredictable but urged residents to get ready for the hurricane by stocking up on water, canned food and batteries. — Sapa-AFP