Matthew pounds Bahamas, to intensify as approaches Florida - NHC

(Reuters) - Hurricane Matthew was pounding portions of Central Bahamas early on Thursday and was expected to intensify as it approaches Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The Category 3 hurricane was about 295 miles (480 km) southwest of West Palm Beach, Florida with a maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the center said in an advisory. Matthew was expected to become a Category 4 hurricane as it approached Florida, the center said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; editing by John Stonestreet)