Hurricane Sam, the 7th hurricane and 4th major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, is a strong Category 4 hurricane over the deep tropical Atlantic. Sam is expected to remain a powerful hurricane for several days, and move northwestward away from the Leeward Islands. Sam is then expected to remain well offshore the United States east coast, though Sam could pass close to Bermuda.

As of 5:00 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Sam was centered near 14.2°N 50.5°W, and was moving northwestward at about 7 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 130 knots (150 mph), with an estimated minimum pressure of 938 mb. Sam is a very powerful hurricane, with a distinct eye surrounded by a ring of cold cloud tops. There has not been any reconnaissance aircraft data since yesterday evening, so this estimate is a bit uncertain. Fortunately, a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft is en route to investigate Sam and will be there in a couple hours. Some slight additional intensification is possible tonight before an eyewall cycle begins, and it remains possible Sam could become one of only a few Category 5 hurricanes in the tropical Atlantic east of the Caribbean. Wind shear is expected to remain low for the next few days, but Sam’s slow forward speed could cause some upwelling to occur, which could weaken the hurricane. Wind shear is expected to increase later this week as Sam accelerates to the northwest, but Sam is likely to remain a major hurricane for several days. Sam is not expected to threaten any land areas during the next few days, though Bermuda and Atlantic Canada should closely monitor the progress of Sam for impacts down the road.