The US East Coast could see dangerous swell this weekend as Hurricane Earl churns near Bermuda

Hurricane Key passes near Southern California 0:48 (CNN) — The entire East Coast of the United States could be affected by strong rip currents this weekend, as Hurricane Earl threatens Bermuda, with strong winds of at least 140 km/h and potentially strengthening to a Category 3 storm. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bermuda, meaning winds in that area are expected to reach up to 118 km/h, according to the National Center for Hurricanes. The region was under a hurricane watch that was lifted on Thursday, but forecasters expect winds to pick up on Friday, the hurricane center said. And even though the storm is hundreds of miles from the US coast, dangerous surf and rip current conditions are expected “along the East Coast through the weekend,” the National Weather Service said. . Hurricanes have the potential to hit the East Coast “even when they stay far enough away that you don’t even notice they’re there,” the weather service warned. “Hurricane Earl is one of those hurricanes. The largest coastal impacts will be in the mid-Atlantic and northeast through this weekend,” the weather service said. In particular, those types of hurricanes can produce strong storm surges that release dangerous rip currents onto beaches and local coastal areas. Excellent graphic describing how hurricanes can impact the East Coast even when they remain far enough away that you don’t even notice they exist. Hurricane Earl is just such a hurricane. The greatest coastal impacts will be in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast into this weekend. https://t.co/pR89zF9XMt — National Weather Service (@NWS) September 8, 2022 Meteorologists in Wilmington, North Carolina, also warned that powerful storm surge from the hurricane could affect the area through at least this Sunday and could cause “strong waves and minor coastal flooding”. Earl was moving north-northeast at about 25 km/h Thursday night and Bermuda is expected to see 1 to 3 inches of rain through Friday. The storm has already brought sustained winds near 90 mph with even higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said. “Re-strengthening is still possible, and Earl could become a major hurricane tomorrow (Friday),” the hurricane center warned. A major hurricane is defined as a category 3 or higher storm, meaning it would bring winds of at least 180 km/h and could cause loss of life and significant damage, according to the weather service. Category 3 storms can pack winds of up to 200 km/h. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale measures the strength of hurricanes in five categories based on the speed of their sustained winds. -Holly Yan, Christina Maxouris and CNN’s Mike Saenz contributed to this report.