Hurricane Kirk Path: Will the New York Area Be Affected by the Storm? LIVE updates

NEW YORK CITY – Hurricane Kirk is expected to strengthen over the central tropical Atlantic and large waves could reach the East Coast by Sunday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

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The Category 3 hurricane's maximum sustained winds are 120 mph with stronger gusts. The storm is expected to further strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane or stronger by Thursday.

Here's everything you need to know about Hurricane Kirk, including its location, expected path, and potential impact on the East Coast.

The latest statistics and information on Hurricane Kirk. (FOX Weather)

Kirk is located in the central tropical Atlantic, more than 1,185 miles east of the Lesser Antilles.

The NHC said Kirk was moving northwest at about 10 miles per hour, and that general movement was expected to continue into early Friday. A turn to the north and north-northeast with higher forward speed is forecast for the weekend.

The forecast path for Hurricane Kirk. (FOX Weather)

Luckily that is FOX Forecast Center said a breach of the Bermuda High would allow the hurricane to move north and remain in the open Atlantic.

Waves generated by Kirk are spreading westward and are expected to reach parts of the Leeward Islands on Friday, Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, and the U.S. East Coast and the Bahamas on Sunday, the NHC said.

The waves can create life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

FOX Weather's Heather Brinkmann and Emilee Speck contributed to this report.