Hurricane Sam expected to transition to post-tropical cyclone Tuesday

Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Hurricane Sam is weakening and expected to become a post-tropical low-pressure system on Tuesday.

In its 3 a.m. GMT update Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was located over the Atlantic Ocean about 610 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, a Category 1 storm. Sam is moving north-northeast at a speed of 30 mph.

The NHC said this general motion will decrease in forward speed over night. The storm though weakening is forecast to transition into a powerful post-tropical cyclone within the next six to 12 hours.

No coastal watches or warnings were effect, the forecast said. Swells generated by Same will impact the northern Leeward Islands, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the eastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada for the next couple of days.

The major hurricane made a turn toward the northeast Friday. The agency earlier said Sam is forecast to weaken over the next few days, becoming a hurricane-force post-tropical low by Monday night or early Tuesday.

Sam is the 18th named storm and the seventh hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. A year ago, the "s" named storm, Sally, formed on Sept. 12.