The National Weather Service says long-period ocean swells generated by a distant Hurricane Danielle are expected to reach the Outer Banks of North Carolina by Saturday.
That will mean an increased risk of dangerous rip currents for bathers, but it will also likely attract surfers eager to jump on bigger-than-usual waves.
The word came from a Hazardous Weather Outlook posted today for Dare and Hyde counties on the Outer Banks. So far, there are no similar advisories for Maryland and Delaware beaches, but the marine forecast does show 4- to 5-foot seas by late Sunday.
Danielle remains a Cat. 2 hurricane, now 680 miles southeast of Bermuda. It is not expected to pose a direct threat to the East Coast. Instead, forecasters believe it will veer northward just east of Bermuda. But seas kicked up by the storm's 110-mph winds are expected to be felt on the U.S. coast. The storm is predicted to reach Cat. 3 strength late Thursday or Friday.