Dorian strengthens to powerful category 5 hurricane as it nears Bahamas

Hurricane Dorian intensified into a dangerous category 5 storm as it approached the Bahamas on Sunday, expected to pound the islands with up to two days of torrential rain, high waves and damaging winds before taking aim at the U.S. mainland.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian had maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour (260 km per hour) early on Sunday.