Hurricane Joaquin, which has gained rapidly in strength, is now a Category 4 hurricane lashing the islands of the central Bahamas, with sustained winds at 12pm today of around 132mph.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, the storm is now considered a potential threat to Bermuda. At 12pm today, forecasters said the storm was 860 miles southwest of Bermuda, and its closest point to the Island is now expected to be 193 nautical miles to the west at 10pm on Sunday.

Over the past two days it has stalled over the Bahamas and is now moving north at about 5mph; it has brought torrential rain to the United States East Coast.

Michael Dunkley yesterday reached out to Perry Christie, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, to offer well wishes and assistance on behalf of Bermuda.

The Weather Service is advising residents to regularly check online for updates on the storm’s progress as it turns gradually toward the north. A small craft warning is in place.

While many on the East Coast fear Joaquin could make landfall early next week, the storms are notoriously difficult to predict, and its interactions with other weather systems in the area have made forecasts even more difficult.

The slow-moving and powerful storm means a hurricane watch is in place over much of the Bahamas, and Joaquin is expected to turn north tomorrow morning.

Meteorologists are also watching a weather disturbance located around 850 miles southeast of the Island. The United States-based National Hurricane Centre this morning forecasted that the system, which is travelling north, has an 80 per cent chance of forming a cyclone.

The Premier today convened a meeting of the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) to discuss the hurricane and assess Government’s and other relevant agencies’ preparedness.

Mr Dunkley said the EMO is closely monitoring the hurricane’s progress and he “strongly encouraged” the public to make sure that they are adequately prepared in the event of a storm.

Those living in low lying and coastal areas are encouraged to make the necessary residential storm preparations. As a precaution, those who own boats and other watercraft are also encouraged to secure their vessels in advance of the inclement weather.

“We are certainly no strangers to serious storms,” Mr Dunkley said. “But Mother Nature can be very unpredictable. So it is critically important that residents be prepared.

“Government agencies are at the ready and we are paying close attention to the developments with Hurricane Joaquin.

“We continue to be in the throes of hurricane season with this year’s season being very active. As a timely reminder, I am strongly encouraging residents to ensure that their homes are secure and that their storm provisions, supplies and emergency kits are up to date, this includes an ample supply of batteries, fuel for your car, your bike and your generator.”

Additional preparation tips include blocking gutters with clean rags or other devices to prevent any leaves, salt and other contamination from entering water tanks.

Members of the public are also advices to bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools, and to anchor objects that cannot be brought inside but that could be wind-tossed. If possible, remove outdoor antennas.

Additionally, installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass surfaces is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect your home. Cover all windows, French doors, sliding glass doors and skylights. Plywood shutters, if installed properly, can offer a high level of protection from flying debris during a hurricane.

To ensure their clients are up to date with their insurance policies, Freisenbruch-Meyer Group today announced that it will be open on Saturday from 9am to 12pm.

“We urge our clients and the community to take this threat seriously and ensure preparations are complete by Saturday evening,” the insurance company said in a statement.

“To further assist you with how to prepare, please view or download our Hurricane Kit from our website, www.fmgroup.bm.

“If deemed safe, our offices will open as per normal on Monday, October 5, to assist clients with any claims they may have sustained as a result of Hurricane Joaquin.”

• For more information visit www.emobermuda.com, www.weather.bm or www.facebook.com/dciBermuda.

• Televised weather updates are available on CableVision channel four and WOW channel 100.

• Government’s Emergency Broadcast station is available on 100.1FM

• For the public forecast dial 977, for the current observations dial 9771, for the marine forecast dial 9772 and for the latest warnings and tropical information dial 9773.

• For tracking of the hurricane, you can visit our weather page at www.royalgazette.com/section/weather.