Hurricane Kirk threatens to cause “life-threatening” surf on the East Coast

Hurricane Kirk is the next major storm in the pipeline, and while it's not expected to make landfall, it could well wreak havoc on the U.S. East Coast, weather experts said Thursday.

The storm was already a Category 3 hurricane on Thursday and was expected to quickly become a Category 4 monster. It was located about 1,130 miles east of the Leeward Islands and brought maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour.

Kirk should strengthen and gradually turn north-northwest over the central Atlantic. The waves were expected to impact parts of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda, causing “life-threatening” surf and breakers on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The East Coast was able to experience these conditions on Sunday as Kirk produced large waves, although no coast watches or warnings were in effect on Thursday.

“Kirk-generated waves are spreading westward and are expected to reach parts of the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the east coast of the United States and the Bahamas on Sunday,” the NHC said Thursday morning. “These waves are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

Meteorologists' eyes were also on Tropical Storm Leslie, which is also hovering over the Atlantic and is growing stronger, although it is not expected to have a direct impact on the country.

Neither storm was expected to affect the southeastern United States, which was devastated by Hurricane Helene last week. With at least 200 people dead and scores missing, Helene is the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

With News Wire Services