Tracking Hurricane Tammy: What to expect in the Wilmington area

As Hurricane Tammy moves north across the Atlantic Ocean, current forecasts show it could be primed to move toward the North Carolina coast by the weekend with the potential for rough surf conditions.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm was located 605 miles south-southeast of Bermuda on Tuesday morning. The storm had winds of 75 mph and was moving northeast at 9 mph.

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TRACK THE STORM: See the latest path for Hurricane Tammy

Current forecasts predict Tammy will remain at hurricane strength through Tuesday and Wednesday before slowing and turning to head northwest by Thursday afternoon. The storm is predicted to be downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday afternoon as wind speeds are projected to slow to below 73 mph.

By Friday, the storm is forecast to remain over the Atlantic and weakening, but still slowly moving toward the East Coast over the weekend.

Steve Pfaff, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, said the storm is expected to “lose steam” over the weekend and likely won’t have impacts on land. However, the Wilmington area is expected to see maritime impacts from Tammy, including swells from the storm that could increase the risk for rip currents along the coast.

No watches or warnings are in effect in connection with Tammy at this time.

Storms in October

According to the National Hurricane Center, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is Sept. 10.

And while hurricane season goes from June 1-Nov. 30, the season’s last two months typically don’t bring much activity to the Wilmington area. However, a few October storms have made an impact.

The greatest was Hurricane Hazel, a Category 4 storm which made landfall in Brunswick County on Oct. 15, 1954.

More hurricane information

Coastal NC webcams: Check the latest weather conditions via these webcams along the NC coast

From the archives: What are the 5 worst hurricanes to ever hit the Wilmington area?

Reach reporter Jamey Cross at jbcross@gannett.com.