Dorian has weakened to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 2 a.m. ET bulletin.
Dorian's core will continue to pound Grand Bahama Island on Sept. 3, and the hurricane will then move "dangerously close" to the Florida east coast late Sept. 3 through the evening of Sept. 4, very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts the night of Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, and near or over the North Carolina coast late Sept. 5. The NHC reiterated that Dorian will likely remain a powerful hurricane over the next couple of days.
The hurricane is about 100 miles from West Palm Beach, Fla., and a hurricane warning is in effect from Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach. A hurricane watch is in effect for north of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet, where a tropical storm warning is also in effect, and from north of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., to South Santee River, S.C.
Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the Florida east coast and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, regardless of the exact track of Dorian's center, the NHC warned. Water levels could begin to rise well in advance of the arrival of strong winds.
A further 6 to 12 inches, and up to 30 inches in some cases, of rainfall is expected in the northwestern Bahamas, while parts of the central Bahamas could see up to 6 inches of rain through late this week. The coastal Carolinas may see 5 to 10 inches of rain, with 15 inches anticipated in some areas. Four to eight inches of rain, with some areas possibly getting 10 inches, is anticipated on the Atlantic coast from the Florida peninsula through Georgia.
