Hurricane Kirk, currently located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, strengthened to a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, The Associated Press reports, citing the US National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters predict the storm will rapidly intensify into a major hurricane in the coming days.
Kirk, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, is currently situated around 1,150 miles east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles and moving northwest at 12 mph. The storm is expected to gradually turn towards the north-northwest and then northward later this week.
While no coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect, swells generated by Kirk could affect portions of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, potentially posing “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean late Wednesday, and forecasters predict it could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend. Currently located 490 miles southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cabo Verde Islands, Leslie has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Similar to Kirk, no coastal watches or warnings are in effect for Leslie, and it is not currently considered a threat to land.
The formation of these storms comes as many in the US Southeast are still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck last week, leaving a trail of destruction and leaving residents without access to clean water, cellphone service, and electricity.
