Strengthening Humberto moves away from Bahamas, not expected to impact North Carolina

A tropical depression near the Bahamas has strengthened into Tropical Storm Humberto.

Posted 8:53 a.m. Sep 14, 2019 — Updated 11:56 a.m. Sep 15, 2019

Elizabeth Gardner

, WRAL meteorologist

Tropical Storm Humberto continues a slow strengthening and could become a hurricane by Sunday night or Monday.

By early Sunday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 137 miles north of Great Abaco Island and was moving at 7 mph north-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

Weather forecasters said it would likely become a hurricane by Sunday night, but would remain far from the Bahamas and the U.S. coast by the time it had intensified to that strength.

The Bahamian government discontinued a tropical storm warning as Humberto moved away from the island nation struggling to recover from Hurricane Dorian.

Interactive hurricane tracker

Humberto is not expected to make landfall in the United States or impact North Carolina; however, swells generated by the storm are expected to increase and affect the waters along the East Coast early next week. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along North Carolina beaches.

A high-pressure ridge and a trough will keep it away from land.

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