Hurricane Isaac and Tropical Storm Joyce get stronger in the Atlantic, far from land

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Isaac was intensifying and Tropical Storm Joyce was getting better organized in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, forecasters said.

Both systems were far out at sea, and no coastal watches or warnings were in effect. But the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said both were getting stronger.

Isaac was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 85 mph (140 kph), and its center was roughly 995 miles (1,600 kilometers) west of the Azores and moving east at 16 mph (26 kph).

Forecasters said swells from the storm could contribute to life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in the North Atlantic archipelago west of Portugal by this weekend.

Isaac was expected to strengthen more before weakening, ultimately becoming a post-tropical cyclone by Monday, the hurricane center said.

Tropical Storm Joyce, the impacts of which were not affecting land, was also forecast to intensify before weakening early next week.

Its center was about 1,250 miles (2,015 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands, which are on the eastern ring of the Caribbean. Maximum sustained winds were around 50 mph (85 kph) in the afternoon, and the system was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).

Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Friday, left an enormous path of destruction across the southeastern United States.