Hurricane Florence Likely to Threaten Carolinas

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Hurricane Florence is gaining strength and is expected to again grow into a major hurricane this week -- and threaten the U.S. East Coast near the Carolinas, forecasters say.

Florence strengthened early Monday into a Category 2 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. It's packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

The storm is expected to become a major hurricane, at Category 3, Tuesday morning with 140 mph winds on the forecast track with landfall projected near the Carolinas Thursday night into Friday morning.

Forecasters said Florence could impact anywhere from northern Florida to the Washington, D.C., area and cause life-threatening conditions.