Tropical Storm Victor becomes 20th named Atlantic storm as Hurricane Sam remains at Cat. 4

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Victor formed Wednesday afternoon and is expected to stay far from Florida. Read updates below:

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5 p.m. update:

Tropical Storm Victor became the 20th named tropical system in the 2021 Atlantic season on Wednesday.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Victor is forecast to stay in the mid-Atlantic and not impact Florida.

Hurricane Sam continues to churn as a powerful Category 4 storm, but it’s not expected to hit Florida either.

Sam is producing powerful wave activity in the Atlantic Ocean that could kick up 7-foot waves on the east coast of Florida by this weekend.

If another storm system becomes powerful enough to be named, it will be called Wanda.

5 a.m. update

Hurricane Sam is fluctuating in strength, according to hurricane hunters.

Sam is forecast to pass well to the east and northeast of the northern Leeward Islands through Wednesday night.

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The storm’s winds are near 130 mph. Sam remains a Category 4 hurricane.

Sam is forecast to remain a major hurricane through late this week, the National Hurricane Center said.

Weather officials said the hurricane is expected to cause large swells across many of the western Atlantic and eastern Caribbean beaches for several days, with the swells reaching the US by the weekend.

READ: How many times has Walt Disney World had to close for a hurricane?

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