The animation follows Joaquin from September 29 to October 1

Oct 2, 2015 17:49 GMT  ·  By

Joaquin, the third hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, started out as a tropical storm. As it approached the Bahamas, however, it began to intensify. 

It is now a category 4 hurricane, and judging by the powerful thunderstorms documented at its core, researchers think it might grow even stronger yet.

The animation below, the work of NASA scientists and based on satellite data, shows Joaquin's evolution between September 29 and October 1, the day it grew into a category 4 hurricane.

Latest information says Joaquin packs winds reaching a speed of up to 130 miles per hour (210 kilometers per hour). Should it intensify, its winds could too grow stronger, researchers say.

This Friday, hurricane Joaquin is expected to move near or over the northwestern Bahamas. Warnings have been issued for the regions that it might encounter.

Although they haven't yet figured out its exact path, specialists don't think hurricane Joaquin will hit the southeastern coast of the US. It could, however, bring severe floods to the area. Life-threatening surf, rip current conditions, and heavy rain are also possible.

Come Saturday, October 3, the hurricane is expected to follow a northerly track and head towards Long Island, New York. Since its behavior is unpredictable, this forecast might change.

While unlikely to make landfall, Joaquin could impact as many as 65 million people and bring floods to areas ranging from South Carolina to Massachusetts.