Scorching Heat takes Backseat to Earl
By Jason Berry, Lead Meteorologist August 31, 2010; 5:23 PM EDT	Share |

Updated: September 1, 2010; 2:21 PM EDT

As temperatures exceed 90-degrees across the Ohio Valley, all eyes will be on Hurricane Earl as the he nears the East Coast.

As of 2 PM EDT, the center of the massive Category 4 storm was centered about 170 miles east of Grand Turk Island, or 1,040 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Already, public safety advisories have been issued for the Carolina Coast. There is a high risk for rip currents, as Earl approaches the Outer Banks through Thursday night. From there, Earl is forecasted to make a gradual shift northeast, battering Cape Cod with strong winds, powerful waves and potential flooding problems Friday night.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday Hurricane Watches may be issued for the Mid-Atlantic Coast as early as this afternoon. Currently, hurricane force winds extend up to 70-miles outward from the center of Earl.

There remains some uncertainty as to the exact track the hurricane will take. Computer models forecast Earl to maintain his northwestward progression, before being steered parallel to the coast by an upper-level trough, and eventually out to sea.

Even with this track however, tropical storm force winds of at least 60-70 mph and 20-foot swells could begin impacting the immediate Carolina Coast as early as Thursday.

Earl & Fiona: Talk tropics in our blog spot. 24-Hour Outlook: The latest forecasts and analysis. Extended 5-Day: How will weather affect your week? Storm Center: Keep yourself ahead of the storm!