Miami, October 3: Hurricane Kirk strengthened into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and was expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane, forecasters said. There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet deemed a threat to land.

Kirk reached Category 3 status on Wednesday, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said. The storm was about 1,855 kilometres east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour. It was moving northwest at 19 kilometres per hour. A gradual turn toward north-northwest and northward was expected this week. Hurricane Helene Update: Helene Upgraded to Category 2 Storm as It Barrels Toward Florida.

Swells generated by the storm could affect portions of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, likely causing "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions, the center said. Kirk grew as many people in the US Southeast still lacked running water, mobile phone service and electricity as rescuers searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week as a Category 4 storm and left a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

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