First Alert Forecast: a great first weekend in October, rip current risk increasing

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Sunny days and starry nights will be the rule across the Cape Fear Region through the first weekend of October. Expect seasonably cool morning temperatures in the 60s and locally 50s and warm afternoon readings mainly in the lower 80s. Beach goers: please use caution. The 78-degree surf may feel welcoming, but distant Hurricane Sam will add some potentially dangerous energy to the waves...

Friday evening: a gorgeous evening for Friday night football. Skies will be mostly clear kickoff temperatures in the 70s and fourth quarter readings in the 60s.

Saturday: two to locally four-foot breakers, high risk of rip currents for east-facing beaches, moderate risk of rip currents for south-facing beaches.

Sunday: two to four-foot breakers with some localized five-foot sets, moderate to high risk of rip currents likely for east and south-facing beaches.

Sam itself will pass east of Bermuda this weekend and morph into a beastly cold-core storm over the chilly northern Atlantic latitudes next week. In the eastern tropical Atlantic, meanwhile, Victor remains likely to take a nonthreatening open-water track. As Atlantic Hurricane Season tends to only slowly settle in October, you are advised to stay vigilant and prepared: wect.com/hurricane.

Catch your First Alert seven-day planning forecast for Wilmington here: http://webpubcontent.gray.tv/wect/MAXSevendayWECT.jpg.

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