MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Chris has strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on Tuesday night while continuing to move away from the United States.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center is located a couple of hundred miles east-southeast of the North Carolina Outer Banks. Maximum sustained winds reached 105 miles per hour.
Chris is moving toward the northeast near 22 mph. A continued northeastward motion accompanied by a steady increase in forward speed is expected through Thursday night.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but forecasters said swells along the coasts of North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic states could produce dangerous surf and rip currents.
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Chris is the third named storm of the 2018 hurricane season and the second hurricane in the Atlantic.
Chris is expected to gain strength Tuesday and Wednesday before weakening Thursday.