MIAMI (AP) — Waves from Hurricane Kirk could cause life-threatening surf and current conditions along the U.S. East Coast this weekend, as well as in Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, forecasters said.

Kirk was a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen further, but was expected to stay away from land, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said Thursday.

The swell generated by Kirk was expected to reach parts of the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the East Coast and the Bahamas on Sunday, the center said.

There were no coast guards or warnings in effect. The major hurricane was located approximately 1,185 miles (1,910 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean late Wednesday and could strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days, forecasters said. It was also not yet considered a threat to the country.

The storm was located about 510 miles (830 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Cape Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles (65 kilometers) per hour, the center said.

The storms raged across the Atlantic Ocean as rescuers in the southeastern US searched for people missing after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving a trail of deaths and catastrophic damage.