Washington, Dhu-AlHijjah 17, 1436, October 01, 2015, SPA -- Hurricane "Joaquin" was packing sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour as of 8 am (1200 GMT) Thursday, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami, as it threatened to change course towards the Bahamas, dpa reported. "Joaquin", a category 3 storm situated around 120 kilometres south-west of San Salvador in the Bahamas, is currently moving west southwest at seven kilometres per hour. But the weather system is forecasted to take a turn to the west northwest sometime on Friday, which would put it on a trajectory to hit the Caribbean islands and US mainland. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale has five levels, with category 5 being the strongest with winds at 252 kilometres per hour or stronger. The hurricane is expected to strengthen in the next 24 hours. A hurricane warning has been issued for the Central Bahamas, advising residents to prepare for storm surge and heavy rain. "Joaquin" is the third hurricane of the 2015 season, following Danny and Fred. -- SPA 18:54 LOCAL TIME 15:54 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w