MIAMI (AP) Hurricane Isaac was strengthening and Tropical Storm Joyce was becoming more organized in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, forecasters reported.
Both systems were far from land and there were currently no coastal warnings or alerts in effect. However, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that both systems were strengthening.
Isaac was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour) and was centered about 1,600 kilometers (995 miles) east of the Azores. It was moving east at 26 km/h (16 mph).
Forecasters said the storm surge could contribute to dangerous surf and rip currents in the northern Atlantic archipelago west of Portugal this weekend.
Isaac was forecast to strengthen further, then weaken and eventually downgrade to a post-tropical cyclone on Monday, according to the NHC.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Joyce, whose impacts did not affect land, was also forecast to intensify and then weaken next week.
It was located about 2,015 kilometers (1,250 miles) east of the northern Windward Islands, which are located in the easternmost part of the Caribbean. Its maximum sustained winds were about 85 km/h (50 mph) and it was moving northwest at 20 km/h (13 mph).
Meanwhile, Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Friday, left a trail of destruction across the southeastern United States.
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