ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Earl will stay far away from Florida, but its impacts will reach the shores of the Sunshine State.
Early Friday, Earl was spinning more than 1,000 miles away from Florida -- and will continue to move away from the U.S. -- but it will generate dangerous rip currents for Florida through at least the weekend.
Oftentimes, large hurricanes in the Central Atlantic produce deadly rip currents along the East Coast of the U.S. even though the storm is seemingly staying safely out at sea.
The surf could be rough at times through Saturday, with with wave heights on the order of 3 to 4 feet.
If entering the ocean, make sure you swim near a lifeguard and pay close attention to your surroundings. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the beach until you escape it. Rip currents can be deadly for even the most experienced swimmers.
The rip current threat should improve early next week.
The tropics remain relatively quiet by peak-season standards.
Danielle has become post-tropical and development chances are dropping for a tropical wave in the Central Atlantic.
A secondary wave near the Cabo Verde Islands has a low chance of developing over the next five days.
Dry air continues to provide a hostile environment for storms.