English: After reaching peak strength on September 26, 2021, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h), Hurricane Sam remained a powerful major hurricane spinning over the Atlantic Ocean on September 28. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), at 15:00 UTC on September 28 (11:00 a.m. EDT) on that date, Sam’s maximum sustained winds had dropped to about 130 mph (215 km/h), and it was located about 580 mi (935 km) east of the Leeward Islands. Although a bit weaker, the NHC still placed Sam at Category 4 strength.

At 15:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. EDT) on September 19, the NHC stated that Hurricane Sam’s maximum sustained winds remained near 130 mph (215 km/h), with stronger gusts and it remained a Category 4 storm. Sam was located about 405 mi (655 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands and was tracking northwestward. Hurricane-force winds extend more than 40 miles (65 km) from the center.

Hurricane Sam is expected to pass well to the east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands by the morning of September 30, and then is forecast to increase forward speed while turning more northward. The NCH expects some fluctuations in strength, but states that Sam is forecast to remain a major hurricane through late this week.

Although the storm should stay over open ocean, swells generated by Sam will impact the Lesser Antilles during the next several days. Swells are expected to reach Bermuda and the Bahamas in a day or so, and then spread to the United States east coast by this weekend. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of Hurricane Sam on September 28. The storm sported a large cloud-filled eye with convective bands curving tightly into the center.