.

It now appears that Hurricane Irene will begin turning further north, then back east slightly ahead of the previous forecasts, which should spare Florida from sustaining a direct hit with this storm.

Residents of North Carolina and New England will need to continue to monitor this storm’s development over the next 48-72 hours. While the storm remains at sea, it would not be out of the question for Irene to gain more strength and become a Category 4 or 5 hurricane before making landfall or turning back to the east.