Tropical
Storm Henri is projected to become a hurricane by Friday and may hit the
Northeast Coast by Sunday, according to forecasters.

As
of 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Henri was 280 miles southwest of Bermuda. According to
the National Hurricane Center, the storm was heading west at nine miles per hour,
with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.

Also Read: Remnants of Storm Fred leaves flash floods, damage in Massachusetts

It
is expected to turn north, according to forecasters. Henri may reach areas of
Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts by Sunday or Monday, according to
a revised map released Wednesday night.

“The
forecast track of Henri remains near the northeast coast of the U.S. this
weekend and early next week, and the risks of storm surge, wind, and rain
impacts in portions of the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada remains a
distinct possibility,” the center said in an update.

Also Read: Storm Fred spawns twisters and flooding across Florida, Georgia

Despite
the fact that Henri had no warnings or watches as of Wednesday night, the
Hurricane Center warned that it may cause dangerous rip currents.

“Swells
are expected to increase across much of the east coast of the U.S. and Atlantic
Canada later this week and this weekend,” the center said on Wednesday. “These
swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

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“It should be noted that as Henri gains latitude and moves near New
England, the wind field is expected to expand,” the NHC says in
their latest update. “Therefore, users are reminded to not
focus on the exact forecast points as impacts will extend far from the
center.”

Henri is the most recent of three hurricanes that
developed later in the Atlantic Ocean. It developed off the coast of the United States on Monday, while the focus was on Tropical Depression Fred and
Hurricane Grace.