Hurricane Arthur will unleash its wrath, gaining strength as it barrels up the East Coast on Friday — spoiling Fourth of July travel plans from North Carolina to New York.
The Category 1 hurricane is expected to swirl into a Category 2 — with raging winds up to 105 mph in North Carolina — thwarting vacations down south and causing rough surf at beaches up north, meteorologists said.
“It’s going to be nasty for travelers. They may not let people out on the roads in the outer banks in North Carolina,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek.
By Friday morning, the powerful hurricane will graze Cape Hatteras, NC, churning out 90-mph winds, experts predicted.
The storm will roar north then veer east, dealing a less-severe blow to southern New Jersey by Friday afternoon, meteorologists said.
New York City will see its worst contact with Arthur’s fringes by 8 p.m., but they will bring winds of only up to 20 mph, experts said.
“The biggest thing is going to be the beaches — with dangerous rip currents [and] rough surf,” said Dombek.
“Lifeguards may not let people in the water,” he added.
A cold front will also bring drizzly weather to the Big Apple on Friday morning and afternoon — but the the weather should clear in time for Macy’s fireworks.
“The rain should move away during the late-afternoon hours. Evening hours should be rain-free,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines.
After the storm has run its course on Friday night, the holiday weekend in New York will be ideal, Kines predicted.
“We’re getting two out of three [nice] days. Friday’s the worst of the three,” he said.
Saturday will be clear and sunny with low humidity and a high of 82. Sunday will be mostly sunny with low humidity and a high of 85, according to AccuWeather.
Some Independence Day celebrations — including fireworks in Boston and Providence — have been canceled or postponed due to the storm.
But in New York City, no major Fourth of July events had been canceled as of Thursday evening.
Macy’s 38th Annual fireworks display — which draws crowds of more than 3 million — is scheduled to blast off on the East River at 8 p.m.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island will go on rain or shine, organizers said.
Additional reporting by Ross Toback