Orbital View As Hurricane Joaquin Threatens Eastern U.S.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West.
That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas.

Joaquin was moving toward the southwest near 6 mph (9 kph). The National Hurricane Center expects Joaquin to turn toward the northwest and a decrease in forward speed on October 1. The center of Joaquin is expected to move near or over portions of the central Bahamas tonight (Sept. 30) and Thursday (Oct. 1).

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph (130 kph) with higher gusts and additional strengthening is expected. Joaquin could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). The minimum central pressure estimated from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft data is 971 millibars. For updated forecasts, watches and warnings, visit the National Hurricane Center website: www.nhc.noaa.gov.