2 September

Hurricane Dorian has struck the Bahamas, battering the islands with ferocious winds and torrential rain.

Weather authorities in the United States say Dorian made landfall on the Abaco Islands in the northern Bahamas, about 300 kilometers east of Florida, on Sunday.

The Category 5 hurricane -- the most powerful on the 5-degree scale -- is packing sustained winds of up to 295 kilometers per hour.

Video footage showed roads and houses inundated by tidal waves in a coastal town in the Bahamas.

The country's prime minister Hubert Minnis has warned the hurricane is life-threatening and urged people to evacuate to safety.

Weather officials say Dorian will maintain its devastating power when it approaches Florida from Monday to Tuesday. It is expected to move northward along the east coast of the United States.

Florida has declared a state of emergency, urging residents in the expected path of Dorian to evacuate.

NHK