Latest Forecast From Storm Team 4
Hurricane Kirk remained a Category 4 major hurricane on Friday, albeit a slightly weaker one, and waves from the system could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions this weekend along the U.S. East Coast, forecasters said.
Kirk is located in the central Atlantic Ocean and is expected to remain away from land, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said. As of NHC's latest update, Kirk had maximum sustained winds and was moving northwest at a speed of 12 mph. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
The storm is expected to weaken starting Saturday; that will continue through early next week.
Swells generated by Kirk were expected to reach portions of the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the East Coast and the Bahamas on Sunday, the center said.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed late Wednesday in the eastern Atlantic and could strengthen into a hurricane on Friday, forecasters said. It also was not yet deemed a threat to land.
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The storms churned in the Atlantic as rescuers in the U.S. Southeast searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving behind a trail of death and catastrophic damage.
