Hurricane Leslie still stationary

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MIAMI, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Hurricane Leslie was stuck in neutral Thursday night, spinning in place for hours over the Atlantic Ocean, U.S. forecasters said.

The stalled Category 1 storm, with 75 mph maximum sustained winds, was centered about 430 miles south-southeast of Bermuda, right where it had been for the previous 6 hours, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. EDT advisory. Leslie was expected to begin drifting northward and likely start to intensify Friday, the center said.

Leslie's hurricane-force winds were extending outward as much as 35 miles from its center, with tropical storm-force gales reaching out up to 160 miles.

The forecasters issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda, which was experiencing higher swells as a result of the storm.

Forecasters cautioned residents of Bermuda to watch the progress of the storm.

High surf could affect the U.S. Atlantic coast from central Florida northward. In the Caribbean, the hurricane center said the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands could experience "life threatening surf and rip current" for the next several days.