Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Frances was edging into the southeastern Bahamas today with winds of 140 miles per hour and is poised to strike the Florida coast early Saturday, according to an advisory from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

At 5 a.m. New York time, the center of the hurricane was about 170 miles (274 kilometers) east of Grand Turk Island and moving to the west-northwest at 17 mph, the Hurricane Center said on its Web site. A hurricane warning is in effect for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands.

``Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours,'' the Hurricane Center said. ``Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.''

Frances is a Category 4 storm, one step down from the most powerful hurricane as measured by the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Frances, the fourth Atlantic hurricane of the 2004 season, may intensify within the next day, forecasters said.

Category 4 hurricanes, with winds of 131 to 155 mph, cause the ocean to surge by 13 to 18 feet (4 to 5.5 meters) and are capable of blowing down walls and tearing off roofs, according to the Hurricane Center. Areas as far inland as 6 miles may require evacuation.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center was taking precautions yesterday to protect the space-shuttle fleet against damage, moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging buildings to guard against flooding.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heather Langan in London at hlangan@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 1, 2004 05:56 EDT