A tropical storm watch was issued for Long Island late Wednesday afternoon as Hurricane Earl continued its path off the U.S. East Coast.
The advisory was issued as Earl was once again upgraded to a Category 4 storm after being lowered to a Category 3 hurricane earlier in the day.
Earl was about 630 miles south east of Cape Hatteras, N.C. when the watch was issued, by the National Weather Service.
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A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions with sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible in the area within 48 hours.
Most forecasters don't believe that Earl will hit Long Island straight on, but even a storm that's off the coast can cause concern for the area and authorities urge residents to keep monitoring news reports about the storm.
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