Sept. 23 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Sam formed in the open Atlantic Ocean on Thursday and is forecast to become a major hurricane en route to the Caribbean.
In its 5 p.m. EDT update, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was located about 1,635 miles east-southeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving west at 16 mph.
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There were no watches or warnings in effect Thursday.
The storm was expected to strengthen into a hurricane Friday and into a major hurricane — Category 3 or stronger — Saturday.
Sam was expected to move in a general west to west-northwest direction over the next several days, with a gradual slowdown in forward motion, the NHC said.