Hurricane Kirk tracker: Storm expected to turn north, see projected path

Hurricane Kirk has slightly weakened while moving northwestward and is expected to take a turn toward the north and north-northeast this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center .

The hurricane center said Friday morning Kirk was located about 975 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and that swells generated by Kirk are spreading westward and could reach the east coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada and the Bahamas by Sunday. The swells are "likely to produce life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the NHC said Friday.

With sustained winds near 140 mph, Kirk is currently a Category 4 hurricane. The NHC said small intensity fluctuations are possible Friday, and weakening is forecast to begin on Saturday and continue through early next week.

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Hurricane Kirk path tracker

Hurricane Kirk spaghetti models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

If path tracker and spaghetti models are not displaying on your screen, you can view them here .

Tropical Storm Leslie continues to get stronger

The hurricane center also said Friday it is continuing to track Tropical Storm Leslie , which as of Friday morning was located about 670 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands.

The storm was moving west, but a turn toward the west-northwest is expected later Friday, followed by a turn toward the northwest and an increase in forward speed early Sunday into Monday, the NHC said.

Leslie currently has maximum sustained winds near 65 mph, but additional strengthening is forecast, with Leslie expected to become a hurricane Friday night or Saturday, according to the hurricane center.

Tropical Storm Leslie path tracker

Tropical Storm Leslie spaghetti models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

If path tracker and spaghetti model are not displaying on your screen, you can view them here .

NHC monitoring a third system in Gulf of Mexico

In addition to Kirk and Leslie, the NHC is also keeping tabs on a "trough of low pressure" producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the western Gulf of Mexico.

The NHC said Friday morning that a "broad area of low pressure" is expected to form over the southwestern of south-central Gulf of Mexico this weekend, and some "gradual development" is possible thereafter as the system moves slowly eastward or northeastward.

Is a hurricane headed for Florida? Forecasters say brace for torrential rain.

"A tropical or subtropical depression or storm could form during the early to middle part of next week if the low remains separate from a frontal boundary that is forecast to extend across the Gulf of Mexico next week," NHC forecasters said Friday. "Regardless of of tropical or subtropical development, locally heavy rains could occur over portions of Mexico during the next few days and over portions of the Florida Peninsula late this weekend into next week."

The NHC says the system has a 40 percent chance of formation through the next seven days.

Atlantic storm tracker

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Kirk tracker: Storm expected to turn north, see projected path