Hurricane Sam, small but mighty, swirls offshore in Atlantic

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Sam is a powerful Category 3 storm in the Atlantic but it poses no threat to land as it loops northward in the Atlantic. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory Monday afternoon that Sam is centered about 700 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Its maximum sustained winds dropped to 120 mph Monday afternoon. Forecasters say there will be little change in strength over the next day or so, followed by a slow weakening. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect. However, swells from Hurricane Sam could cause dangerous rip current conditions off the coast of the Lesser Antilles early this week.