(Reuters) - Hurricane Matthew has strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Friday.

Hurricane Matthew was about 565 miles (910 km) east-southeast of Kingston Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (155 km/h), the NHC said.

Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Matthew could become a major hurricane later today or tonight, the Miami-based weather forecaster said.