MIAMI – Hurricane Katia weakened to a Category 1 storm in the Atlantic early Wednesday and was not expected to hit land.
The hurricane — with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph (150 kph) — was forecast to pass between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda over Wednesday night and Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Though Katia wasn’t expected to make landfall, the hurricane center said large swells could affect the East Coast, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and parts of the Bahamas over the next few days. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda.
Early Wednesday, Katia was centered about 310 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda and moving northwest near 10 mph (17 kph).
Meanwhile, the hurricane center said a tropical depression farther out in the Atlantic was expected to become a tropical storm later in the day. The depression had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (55 kph). It was centered about 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands and moving west near 20 mph (32 kph). It could pass over or near Puerto Rico by Sunday.
