Katia still going strong, but expected to miss land

With winds of 125 mph Hurricane Katia remains a strong category 3 storm, but forecasters at the National Hurricane Center don't expect it to make landfall.

Instead Katia is projected to continue traveling north-northwest for another two days, then on Thursday begin heading back in a north-northeast direction as it moves around one area of low pressure in the eastern U.S. and behind an atmospheric ridge running across the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The NHC expects Katia to then transition to an extratropical cyclone as it heads into the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane force winds currently extend out to 60 miles from Katia's center and tropical storm force winds extend to 205 miles from the center. While no direct landfall is expected, beaches along the U.S. east coast and Bermuda could see higher than usual surf conditions and possible rip currents, according to the National Weather Service Charleston office. 

Meanwhile the NHC is tracking another area of low pressure 680 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands off the West African coast that shows signs of becoming better organized. Forecasters give the area a 70 percent chance of becoming a trpoical cyclone over the next 48 hours. It is expected to become a tropical depression later today or Wednesday.

Keep an eye on all the activity in the tropics at The Weather Channel where up to date satellite imagery is available.