Hurricane Sandy likely to affect southeast US

New Delhi, Category 2 Hurricane Sandy has the potential to bring significant impact to the eastern coast of the U.S., through the weekend and early into next week. The Wind gusts could reach 65 to 80 kmph along Florida's eastern coast later Thursday going into Friday.

The pressure gradient between Sandy and high pressure in the northeast U.S. will lead to increasingly strong winds over the Florida Peninsula, spreading northwards to the outer banks of North Carolina and Virginia Beach through at least Saturday.

Rip currents, high surf, and eventually, some coastal flooding are possible in areas of the most persistent onshore flow. Bands of rain on the outer periphery of the circulation will occasionally wrap into the coast as well.

Sandy is expected to track from eastern Cuba to the Bahamas from Thursday through Friday, other than potential hurricane-force winds in Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas as the center passes through these locations, the hurricane can bring heavy rain, flash flooding, and mudslides in the north and east of the center's track.