ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane Sam has restrengthened to a Category 4 storm after weakening to a Category 3 Monday, the NHC says.
While fluctuations in intensity are expected, the storm is expected to remain a major hurricane through late this week.
According to the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. advisory, Hurricane Sam is packing sustained winds of 145 mph and is moving northwest at 12 mph.
The Category 4 storm is currently about 350 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands.
Sam is expected to maintain its strength as a major hurricane — Category 3 or higher — for several days. By Thursday, Sam is forecast to speed up somewhat.
Sam is forecast to remain one for the fish for at least the next several days, posing no immediate threat to land, but Bermuda will have to keep a close eye on it next week as it curves north.
The NHC says some fluctuations in the hurricane's intensity are possible on Monday or Tuesday. Thereafter, some slow weakening is forecast.
Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions could reach the Lesser Antilles at the beginning of this week, according to the NHC.
No coastal watches and warnings are in effect. However, the NHC is monitoring Bermuda. A Tropical Storm Watch could be required for the island on Thursday.
These middle-to-late season tropical systems are a good reminder not to put away those hurricane supplies just yet and to keep an eye on an ever-changing forecast.
After Sam, there will only be three names left on the list for the 2021 Hurricane Season. New for this season the World Meteorologist Organization has decided that if all of the names on the list for a season are used, a new supplemental list of names will be available to name storms.
The use of this supplemental list of names replaces the prior system which used names from the Greek alphabet, which had only previously been used in 2005 and 2020.
