The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda as Hurricane Leslie unleashed strong winds and heavy swells over the island, much of the Caribbean and parts of the East Coast on Friday. Further east in the Atlantic, Hurricane Michael continued on its projected path northward.
Hurricane Leslie continued to be a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 75 mph, the Miami-based center said. According to the NHC, Leslie has remained largely stationary over the past couple of hours but is expected to begin drifting towards the north or north-northwest later on Friday.
Leslie is not anticipated to strengthen over the next 24 hours but may experience gradual strengthening over the weekend, the center warned.
The hurricane is not expected to make landfall but the NHC cautioned that swells generated by Leslie will affect Bermuda, the East Coast from central Florida northward, the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for the next few days.
Hurricane Michael downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane by Friday, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 105 mph. The NHC said that Michael is maintaining its strength as it moves towards to north at about 3 mph. Michael was the first hurricane this season to reach Category 3 status.
The hurricane is expected to experience gradual weakening during the next 48 hours and poses no immediate threat to land, the NHC said.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the low pressure system being monitored was weakening, the center said. The system, remnants of Hurricane Isaac, has only a 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. The NHC said the system was producing cloudiness and a few squalls but is not expected to continue developing.
Maps of Hurricanes Leslie and Michael and the Gulf of Mexico Low Pressure System:
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
