Hurricane Kirk remains a powerful Category 3 storm in the Atlantic

Waves from Hurricane Kirk could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions this weekend along the U.S. East Coast and in eastern Canada, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, forecasters said.

Kirk is a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and it is expected to "steadily weaken" beginning Saturday and remain away from land, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said Saturday. Forecasters warned that "large swells" could reach the East Coast by Sunday.

"Weakening is forecast through early next week, but Kirk will remain a large hurricane for the next couple of days," the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday in a public advisory.

Swells generated by Kirk were already affecting portions of the Leeward Islands, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles Friday, the center said. The swells should reach the Bahamas and parts of eastern Canada on Saturday night and Sunday, and the Azores on Monday, according to the center.

Where is Hurricane Kirk headed?

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect. The major hurricane is located in the central Atlantic Ocean with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph as of Friday night. It was located about 90 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands.

The hurricane was heading north-northwest at 13 mph Friday, but it is expected to turn north over the weekend.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and finishes November 30 , with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October. Hurricane activity tends to peak in mid-September, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A second hurricane forms in the Atlantic

Meanwhile, Hurricane Leslie strengthened into a Category 1 storm late Friday night in the Eastern Atlantic, forecasters said. But it also was not yet deemed a threat to land. A "gradual weakening trend" is forecast to begin on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storms formed as many people in the U.S. Southeast still lacked running water, cellphone service and electricity as rescuers searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week and left a trail of death and catastrophic damage .

At least 225 people were confirmed dead across multiple states Friday in one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history, according to a tally by CBS News.

President Biden went to Florida and Georgia Thursday to survey the widespread damage from the storm.

The trip is the president's second consecutive day viewing hurricane damage in the Southeast. He visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville , North Carolina, by air, and receiving emergency response updates from officials in Raleigh.

The president announced the federal government will cover "100%" of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months and will do the same for Florida and Georgia for the next 90 days.