Hurricane Sam reached the peak of its intensity Sunday but will remain a major hurricane for several days as it makes it was over the Atlantic, forecasters said. The Category 4 storm reached 150 mph winds Sunday afternoon.
Forecasters said Sam is starting to slow down with maximum sustained winds around 145 mph (230 kph). Wind speeds were expected to vary in intensity over the next day or so, followed by some slow weakening.
Sam was centered about 850 miles (1,365 kilometers) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands on Sunday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It was moving west-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, however swells from Hurricane Sam could cause dangerous rip current conditions off the coast of the Lesser Antilles early this week, officials said.
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