Hurricanes

Maria to stay off NC coast, bring strong rip currents to beaches

The latest forecast track of Hurricane Maria on Friday keeps the weakening storm off the North Carolina coast, but it is still expected to bring dangerous conditions to Tar Heel State beaches.

Posted Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. — The latest forecast track of Hurricane Maria on Friday keeps the weakening storm off the North Carolina coast, but it is still expected to bring dangerous ocean conditions to Tar Heel State beaches.

The eye of the storm was nearing the Turks and Caicos islands early Friday morning with sustained winds near 125 mph. It was still a Category 3 storm, but it's expected to lose some steam as it continues northward.

"The pressure has risen, and that's a sign of some gradual weakening," said WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth.

As the storm moves farther north, it will continue to weaken as it moves into some cooler waters and is impacted by wind shear. Maria should drop to a Category 2 hurricane over the weekend and slip again to a Category 1 storm by Tuesday.

While the earliest forecast track on Friday kept the storm out in the Atlantic Ocean, it is still expected to bring strong rip currents and big waves to the North Carolina coast.

"The cone of uncertainty is off of the North Carolina coast, although it's a pretty big cone of uncertainty," Wilmoth said. "(It could end up closer to the coast or) it could end up way over closer to Bermuda.

"It's still something we have to watch very closely. If it ends up on this western side of the forecast cone, of course we'd feel some more impacts along the North Carolina coast."

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.