Hurricane Katia upgraded to Cat 4 Storm

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Katia has become a monstrous Category 4 storm as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean.

On Monday night, Katia's maximum sustained winds had increased to 135 mph (215 kph).  Some strength fluctuations are expected before the storm slowly weakens.

Hurricane specialist Todd Kimberlain says it's looking less likely that Katia will hit land but that wind from the storm could still affect the U.S. East Coast as it moves north.  Forecast maps show it veering to the northeast, away from the U.S. in the coming week.

Katia is centered about 450 miles (725 kilometers) south of Bermuda and is moving northwest near 10 mph (16 kph).