Kirk rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane

ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Kirk continues to strengthen rapidly over the central Atlantic.

As of 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Kirk had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and is moving northwest at 12mph.

Hurricane Kirk is no threat to land. Kirk is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane later in the week as it moves into the North Atlantic.

Even though the storm will stay nearly 2,000 miles away from the U.S. but will increase wave heights and the rip current risk along the East Coast of the U.S.

Closer to home, the National Hurricane Center continues to highlight an area in the Bay of Campeche and southwest Gulf of Mexico.

The chance that a tropical system actually develops out of a broader disturbance has been lowered by the NHC to 30% over the next seven days. Regardless of tropical development, heavy rain will be possible in Central and South Florida late in the weekend and early next week.

Elsewhere in the eastern Atlantic, Tropical Depression 13 is forecast to become a hurricane later this week.

The next name of the 2024 hurricane season is Leslie.

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.