Thursday, 4:30 PM
Hurricane Florence may whip up wind, waves along coast
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent
A distant Hurricane Florence may ruffle the New England coast as it passes almost 500 miles east of Nantucket on Tuesday morning, churning up 24-foot waves in the open sea and causing minor costal flooding.
The Coast Guard station in Boston issued a warning to boaters today which will remain in effect through Wednesday. The Category 1 hurricane was spinning north near Bermuda this afternoon, packing 90 mph winds.
The storm has began to turn away from North America and is expected to be at the same latitude as Nantucket at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday, according to Meteorologist Hayden Frank of the National Weather Service in Taunton.
"This storm is way east," said Frank. "It's just going to mean big waves for the mariners ... Unless you are right on the coast, there isn't going to be any impact except some breezes."
Over the open seas, waves could reach between 16 and 24 feet, according to the Coast Guard.
The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory. At high tide on Tuesday afternoon, there could be minor flooding along roads close to the water where there is not a wide beach to act as a buffer, Frank said. High tide in Boston is expected a about 3:30 p.m.
Temperatures are expected to dip into the 40s tonight in Boston and it should remain cool but clear for the next several days.
"That's the gist of it – a taste of fall," Frank said.
