SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Hurricane Maria is expected to create dangerous waves and strong rip currents along parts of the southeast U.S. coast as the Category 3 storm moves away from the Bahamas and into open water.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Maria continues to have maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. The core of the storm was about 340 miles east of Nassau as of 5 a.m. Saturday.
The Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern and central Bahamas continue to be under a tropical storm warning.
The storm is expected to slowly weaken while making a turn toward the north by late Saturday.
Swells are anticipated to increase along parts of the southeastern U.S. and Bermuda on Saturday.