MIAMI—Hurricane Kirk was a major Category 4 hurricane on Thursday, and waves from the system could cause life-threatening waves and rip current conditions this weekend along the U.S. East Coast as well as in Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, forecasters said.
Kirk was located in the central Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen further over the next few days, but was expected to stay away from land, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Swells generated by Kirk are expected to reach parts of the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the East Coast and Bahamas on Sunday, the center said.
There were no coastal watches or advisories in effect. The major hurricane was about 1,085 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed Wednesday night in the eastern Atlantic and could become a hurricane on Friday, forecasters said. It was also not yet considered a threat to the earth.
The storm was located about 580 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Cape Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, the center said.
Storms churned in the Atlantic as rescuers in the southeastern United States searched for people missing after Hurricane Helene hit last week, leaving behind a trail of deaths and catastrophic damage.
