High risk of rip currents continues Sunday for all Hatteras and Ocracoke Island beaches

Distant swell from Hurricane Sam will continue to bring powerful surf and a high risk of rip currents to all Outer Banks beaches south of Oregon Inlet on Sunday, including Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, per a recent update from the National Weather Service Newport / Morehead City office.

While the overall weather for Sunday includes sunshine and a high near 80, the public is advised to check surf and swimming conditions before heading to the beach. The daily beach forecast at www.weather.gov/beach/mhx includes rip current risk levels, and information about other hazards along the shoreline

Hurricane Sam is located well offshore, (about 665 miles SSW of Cape Race, Newfoundland), and is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph (28 km/h). This general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next few days. On the forecast track, Sam will move over the far North Atlantic well to southeast and east of Newfoundland.

Maximum sustained winds decreased to near 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts. Further weakening is forecast during the next few days, and Sam is expected transition into a powerful post-tropical cyclone on Monday.

For more information on the local forecast, visit www.weather.gov/mhx for general weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport / Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.