- South and Midwest face potentially catastrophic rains and floods while reeling from tornadoes
- Deadly 2024 hurricanes prompt WMO to retire three names
- Body recovered in North Carolina identified as East TN man who has been missing ever since Hurricane Helene
- Report: Coastal flooding could threaten 1.4 million homes by midcentury
- Caught on camera | Tornado touches down in Missouri
Hurricane Larry becomes major hurricane, expected to become Cat. 4 storm this weekend
Hurricane Larry, currently way off in the Atlantic, is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend.
Late Friday night, Larry strengthened to major hurricane status, turning into a Category 3 storm with winds of 115 miles per hour. Larry was moving west/northwest at 16 miles per hour.
Larry could reach Category 4 strength by Sunday, according to WRAL meteorologist Zach Maloch.
Larry could impact portions of Bermuda by mid-week next week before it steers to the northeast, Maloch said.
Steering currents will help keep Larry offshore, but North Carolina’s coast could experience some rip currents or large ocean swells by next Thursday and Friday, Maloch said. Still, Larry is not likely to reach land.
“If you’re heading to the beaches and you see the red flags flying, stay out of the water,” said WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze.
Hurricane Larry is the fifth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.