Nicole, which is on track to hit Bermuda, strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday (September 12), the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
The core of Nicole, located about 210 miles (335 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), is expected to pass near or over the island on Thursday, the NHC said.
Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale are considered major ones given their potential to cause significant damage, according to the NHC.
Nicole is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches over Bermuda through Thursday, the Miami-based weather forecaster said, adding that a hurricane watch is in effect for Bermuda.
Cameras outside the International Space Station captured views of Hurricane Nicole on October 12, 2016 at 0537 GMT as it moved north at about eight miles an hour, packing winds of 100 miles an hour.
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