As of 5pm, the now-named tropical storm Bonnie was 40 miles south-south-west of Deadman’s Cay Long Island with maximum winds of 40mph and higher gusts.

Bonnie is heading northwest at 14mph and is about 50 miles wide.

Speaking to Bahamas Local News, forecaster Pat Butler said the storm’s high speed means it is not likely to strengthen much.

A storm warning remains in effect for the central and northwest Bahamas. A storm surge may raise water levels as much as two feet above ground level over parts of The Bahamas. Flooding may be a problem in low-lying areas

Storm numbers:

Location at 5pm: 22.7 north...longitude 75.4 west.

Movement: Toward the northwest near 14 mph. A turn to the west-northwest with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Friday.

Minimum central pressure reported by an air force reconnaissance plane was 1006 mb...29.71 inches.

Photo: Satellite image of the Caribbean. Photo from the National Hurricane Center.

Photo 2 (click icon in top right once image is open to enlarge): This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that time.

Click here to see a current visible satellite loop of the storm.

Click here to read more at the National Hurricane Center