Katia picks up speed, turns toward north

MIAMI, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Hurricane Katia picked up forward speed and turned north late Wednesday between Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

In its 11 p.m. EDT update, the center said a tropical storm watch was in effect for Bermuda. Katia, a Category 1 hurricane, was 325 miles west-southwest of Bermuda, moving north-northwest at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

Forecasters said Katia should move north early Thursday, and then shift toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed Thursday night and Friday.

On its forecast track, the storm's core was expected to move between the East Coast and Bermuda Wednesday night and Thursday, the hurricane center said.

Katia, which had been a Category 3 storm with winds up to 125 mph a day earlier, was expected to experience little change in strength Wednesday night, followed by a gradual weakening Thursday, forecasters said.

Hurricane-force winds extended 70 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical-storm-force winds extending 205 miles.

The center said large swells generated by Katia will affect most of the U.S. East Coast, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and east-facing beaches in the Bahamas during the next few days. The swells likely will cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Katia was expected to produce 1-2 inches of rain across Bermuda, the center said.