Hurricane Dorian now has maximum sustained winds approaching 145mph (225kmh). Dorian’s centre will possibly cross the Bahamas before skirting Florida’s east coast early next week. As the storm swells closer to land, satellites operated by NASA and the NOAA continue to track its movement and progress.
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano also photographed Hurricane Dorian as the storm travelled across the Atlantic Ocean on September 1.
Parmitano tweeted the stunning picture, with the simple caption: “Staring into the eye of the storm.”
Hurricane Dorian’s eye is also clearly visible in a video from the GOES-East NOAA weather satellite.
NASA has recorded striking videos of Hurricane Dorian from the International Space Station whenever the orbiting lab passes over the storm.
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The orbiting laboratory makes 16 complete orbits of Earth every day.
Tourists are reportedly scrambling to leave the Bahamas before its international airport closes.
States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina.
Residents have been advised to stock enough food, water and medicine to last a week at least.
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Meteorologists have warned how Hurricane Dorian could be the area’s worst storm since 1992’s category five Hurricane Andrew killed 65 people and destroyed 63,000 homes.
US President Donald Trump is monitoring Dorian, which he described as “an extremely dangerous storm” on social media.
Hurricanes, whose strength can range from category 1 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, often grow in intensity as they travel over warm waters like those off Florida.
Weather forecasters expect Dorian to shift eastwards from the middle of next week, putting the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina at risk.
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The US National Hurricane Center said “life-threatening storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds, and heavy rains capable of life-threatening flash floods” are forecast to slam the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama today.
Jeffrey Simmons, deputy director of Bahamas’ Department of Meteorology, said storm surges of up to 15ft (4.5m) were anticipated.
Bahamas’ National Emergency Management Agency expects damage could be aggravated because the storm’s westward motion could slow down, keeping it over the islands for longer.
A tropical storm watch is also in effect for a 120-mile (193km) stretch of Florida’s eastern coast, with hurricane-force winds possible along the state’s coast from early next week.