The sixth hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, Leslie is moving slowly toward Bermuda.
Bermuda needs to be on high alert for a direct hit per the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. Warnings of a strong category 2 (border-line Cat 3) hurricane is in effect for the weekend.
Leslie's maximum sustained winds strengthened Wednesday and are now 75 mph, passing the hurricane threshold of 74 mph.
Swells from Leslie continued affecting the U.S. East Coast, as well as Bermuda, the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.
Leslie is centered about 470 miles south-southeast of Bermuda and moving north-northwest near 2 mph.
Farther out, Tropical Storm Michael is moving slowly north in the Atlantic but poses no threat to land. Michael's maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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