A weaker Hurricane Maria continued on a path Sunday that will bring it uncomfortably close to the U.S. East Coast this week.
The National Hurricane Center said Maria, a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph, will continue to track northward parallel to the coast before making a turn away from land and to the east.
Hurricane Maria is a big storm. At the top right of the image is tiny Hurricane Lee. (NWS)
It's where and when that turn will happen that is problematic.
Forecasters think the core of the hurricane will stay offshore, but it could come close enough that parts of the coast will feel some of its effects.
For that reason, the hurricane center has issued tropical storm and storm surge watches for part of the North Carolina coast.
The hurricane center said it is "likely that some direct impacts will occur along portions of the coast by midweek."
As of the last advisory from the hurricane center, at 7 p.m. CDT Sunday, Hurricane Maria was located about 410 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and was moving north at 9 mph.
The hurricane center has issued a tropical storm watch for the coast of North Carolina from Surf City north to the Virginia border, including the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.
A storm surge watch has been issued for the coast of North Carolina from Cape Lookout northward to Duck.
The center of the storm is expected to stay offshore, but Maria is a large hurricane. Tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles from its center.
Forecasters said tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area beginning Tuesday, and 2-4 feet of surge will also be possible.
Two to four feet of storm surge will be possible this week in the watch area. (NHC)
Maria had winds of 105 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane. The harshest winds were found on the east side of the eye, the hurricane center said.
Some fluctuations in intensity will be possible over the next day, forecasters said.
Maria could move over the seas stirred up by former Hurricane Jose, which could decrease sea surface temperatures and give the storm less fuel to work with. But it also will be in an area with little wind shear, which could allow intensification.
Now, for where Maria's headed.
The storm is being steered on a path in between an area of high pressure to the east and an area of low pressure to its west.
It could continue to track northward, or northwestward, for the next three days, the hurricane center said, and could slow down a bit.
After about four days, forecasters think the the area of high pressure to the east will pull back and allow Maria to curve more to the east and away from the coast.
The hurricane center said forecast models agree on this general scenario but differ on the timing and location of that curve.
"Regardless of where the recurvature occurs, Maria is a large cyclone and the associated tropical storm force winds could eventually reach a portion of the North Carolina coast," the hurricane center said.
Maria is not the only hurricane in the Atlantic as of Sunday.
Far to the east is tiny Hurricane Lee, which had winds of 90 mph on Sunday and was located about 890 miles east of Bermuda.
Lee was a tropical storm that fell apart last Monday and regenerated late last week. It has rapidly intensified and could strengthen more.
The hurricane center said Lee could be near Category 3 intensity by Monday.
Lee is no threat to land and is expected to meander in the central Atlantic this week while still a hurricane.
Lee's upgrade makes it the seventh hurricane of the season in the Atlantic.
And all seven have come in a row: Franklin, Gert, major Hurricane Harvey, major Hurricane Irma, major Hurricane Jose, Katia and now Lee.
The Atlantic hurricane season will end on Nov. 30.
Hurricane Lee's forecast track keeps the small storm far from land. (NHC)