BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A powerful Hurricane Katia was churning towards the south of Bermuda on Tuesday, and weather officials warned that the Category Three storm could strengthen over the next 24 hours.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Katia, packing winds of 125 miles per hour, was located at about 450 miles south of Bermuda.
The center of the storm was near latitude 26.5 north, longitude 65.1 west and it is moving towards the northwest at 10 miles per hour.
NHC said that this general motion is expected to continue through Wednesday, followed by a turn towards the north-northwest by Thursday.
It said maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 125 miles, but that the Category Three hurricane, could regain strength during the next 24 hours, followed by a slow weakening.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles and the NHC said that large swells generated by Katia will continue to affect most of the east coast of the United States, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and east-facing beaches of The Bahamas.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC said.
