Hurricane Sam, small but mighty, swirls offshore in Atlantic

Hurricane Sam had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h), making it a Category 4 hurricane. (NOAA, Sept. 17, 2021 - 4:10 EDT)

MIAMI -

Hurricane Sam was a powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday but was centered well offshore and posed no threats to land, though it could generate dangerous rip currents.

Sam is located about 800 miles (1,290 kilometers) southeast of the northern Leeward Islands and is traveling northwest at 8 mph (13 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

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Sam had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), making it a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasters said there would be little change in its strength over the next day or so, followed by a slow weakening. Sam is expected to remain a major hurricane -- Category 3 or higher -- through midweek.

The Miami-based hurricane center said Sam was a small tropical cyclone, with hurricane-force winds extending outward just 30 miles (48 kilometers) from its center.

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect. But swells from Hurricane Sam could cause dangerous rip current conditions off the coast of the Lesser Antilles early this week, forecasters said.