Hurricane Joaquin is battering the Bahamas and moving northward. 

Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami say Joaquin is an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, and hurricane conditions will continue over the Bahamas on Friday as the storm passes.

On Friday afternoon, Joaquin had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph). The storm is about 10 miles (15 kilometers) north of Rum Cay, Bahamas. It's moving north at 5 mph (8 kph).

A hurricane warning is in effect for much of the Bahamas and other islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect elsewhere, including some Cuban provinces.

Forecasters say slow weakening of the storm is expected to begin Saturday. 

Earlier models showed the U.S. could possibly get a direct hit from the storm in the coming days, but the latest predictions show Joaquin offshore.