Hurricane Kirk won't reach Atlantic Coast; Leslie could grow by the weekend

Tropical Storm Leslie formed Wednesday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, forecasters said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet deemed a threat to land.

The storm was located 490 miles southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm formed as many people in the U.S. Southeast still lacked running water, cellphone service and electricity as rescuers searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week and left a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk strengthened Wednesday into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and was expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane.

Kirk was a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen further, but was expected to remain far away from land, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

Swells and rip currents generated by Kirk were expected to reach the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the East Coast and the Bahamas on Sunday, the center said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Swells generated by the storm could affect portions of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, likely causing “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions, the center said.



Projected path of Hurricane Kirk (National Hurricane Center)