The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has declared that Kirk has intensified into a hurricane, with favorable conditions expected to bolster its strength further.
In the 5:00 AM AST (9:00 UTC) update on Wednesday, October 2, the NHC pinpointed the center of Hurricane Kirk near latitude 17.5 degrees north and longitude 42.1 degrees west. This location places Kirk approximately 1,200 miles (1,930 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands and 1,280 miles (2,060 km) east of the Lesser Antilles.
Currently, Hurricane Kirk is moving northwest at a speed of 14 mph (22 km/h). This path is not expected to impact either Cuba or Florida, and the hurricane is predicted to maintain this course over the next few days.
Kirk's maximum sustained winds have now reached 80 mph (130 km/h), with even stronger gusts. The NHC forecasts that the cyclone will continue to intensify and could escalate to a major hurricane by Thursday.
As of now, no coastal watches or warnings have been issued. However, meteorologists are closely monitoring the hurricane's progress.