Sam is still a category 4 hurricane

Sam is still a category 4 hurricane and is expected to cause large swells and high surf over a large portion of the western Atlantic shoreline.

🌀 At 11 a.m. AST, the center of Hurricane Sam was located over the Atlantic Ocean about 365 miles (585 km) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and 730 miles (1175 km) south-southeast of Bermuda.Sam is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h), and a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight. A turn toward the north is anticipated by late Friday, and a northeastward motion is forecast to begin on Saturday. On the forecast track, the core of Sam will pass to the east of Bermuda early Saturday.
<br>🌊 Swells generated by Sam will impact the Northern Leeward Islands and the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, during the next few days. Swells are expected to reach Bermuda and the Bahamas by Friday, and then spread to the United States east coast by this weekend. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

🌬 Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher gusts – a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 937 mb (27.67 inches). Some fluctuations in intensity are expected during the next couple of days, but Sam is forecast to remain a major hurricane through Saturday, with more significant weakening anticipated later in the weekend.

📸 Credits: NOAA

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