MIAMI — Hurricane Dorian is strengthening as it moves toward the U.S. Southeast coast.

The National Hurricane Center says Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Thursday and Friday.

The Miami-based hurricane centre says the storm could grow into a dangerous Category 3 storm by Labour Day as it pushes northwest in the general direction of Florida.

The centre says Dorian has top sustained winds near 85 mph with higher gusts. At 11 p.m. EDT Wednesday, it was centred about 90 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Reports of flooding and power outages were reported across the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra after Dorian hit St. Thomas as a Category 1 storm.

WestJet, which yesterday announced flexibly rebooking options for five Florida destinations and Nassau, has extended the window for Florida by an extra day. Passengers booked to travel Sept. 1 or Sept. 2 to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Miami, Fort Myers and Tampa can rebook their flights.

For Tropical Storm Erin, heading for the Maritimes, WestJet passengers can rebook for flights originally scheduled today and tomorrow in and out of Fredericton, Halifax, Moncton, Sydney and Charlottetown.

With files from The Associated Press