Watches, warnings posted in Bahamas ahead of Hurricane Joaquin

Joaquin is the third hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, following Danny and Fred.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Acapulco to east of Tecpan de Galeana, and a tropical storm watch was in effect from west of Lazaro Cardenas to Punta San Telmo.

Before Joaquin arrives on the scene – or not, as the case may be – an area from Maine to North Carolina was set for a separate round of rainfall that had already started overnight Tuesday into Wednesday in a few areas.

The center of the storm could move over the central Bahams as early as tonight, forecasters said. The satellite imagery is showing a lot more organization with heavy rain and thunderstorms wrapping around the center.

The advisory warns that Joaquin is expected to strengthen further and could become a major hurricane.

The next advisory on Joaquin from the National Hurricane Center is schedule for 5 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service station in Wakefield, which covers the Lower Shore and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, said on its Facebook page the morning of September 30 that heavy rain is likely Thursday night into Friday and Friday night.

The center of the storm early Wednesday was about 215 miles (345 kilometers) east-northeast of the central Bahamas and moving toward the southwest at 6 mph (9kmh).

Still, hurricane forecasters noted this morning that confidence int he forecast track toward days 4 and 5 remains “very low” because the steering currents for this storm are not consistent among models. As of now, Hurricane Joaquin is located an estimated 250 miles east of the Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane conditions are expected to reach portions of the Central Bahamas on Thursday.

Joaquin is expected to produce 3 to 10 inches of rain with isolated higher amounts possible over the Bahamas.

What is expected is that the storm will turn to the northwest and then north starting in about 36 hours.