Hurricane Tracker: Sam now a hurricane, forecast to be a major storm over the weekend

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Early this morning, Tropical Storm Sam was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.

The 18th-named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is currently about 1,400 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands, moving west at 15 mph. 

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Sam is forecast to strengthen over the weekend and should be a major – Category 3 or 4 – storm as it pushes northwest, just north of the northern Caribbean islands early next week.

The latest weather data curves Sam away from the U.S. East Coast and more toward Bermuda, but we will need to keep a close watch for any forecast changes to Sam’s track, just in case.

Meteorologist Al Conklin

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