The Straits Times

Hurricane Sandy kills 3 so far, heads to Bahamas

HAVANA (AFP) - Hurricane Sandy barrelled towards the Bahamas on Thursday as a powerful category two storm, after battering Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba and claiming three lives so far.

The US-based National Hurricane Center said the storm was packing winds of up to 165 kmph as it moved north, near the top of the category two range on the five-rung Saffir-Simpson wind scale.

Forecasters predicted the storm would weaken somewhat over the next 48 hours. But Sandy remains a hurricane as it passes over the Bahamas, according to the NHC's 1500 GMT (11pm Singapore time) advisory.

Heavy rains and strong winds were already being felt in some areas of the archipelago on Thursday, with the full impact of the storm expected to start hitting within the next few hours, the Bahamian newspaper The Nassau Guardian reported.