Hurricane Earl continues to weaken as it moves northward from a position east of the S.C./N.C. coastal border while rainbands associated with the storm move closer to shore (see radar loop). As of 5 p.m. the center of Hurricane Earl was about 185 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C. and the storm was moving north at 18 mph. With winds sustained at 115 mph, Earl is still a Category 3 storm but it is now nearing the lower end of that scale (111-130 mph).

Visible satellite image of Hurricane Earl at 4:30 p.m. today as it heads north toward a position east the Outer Banks of North Carolina later tonight. Image courtesy: NASA.

The information quoted above is from The Washington Post. The satellite image is from NASA.