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As  Hurricane Sam churns in the Atlantic Ocean,
NOAA satellites are monitoring the powerful Category 4 storm

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the strongest of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season to date.

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Tropical Storm Sam formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on September 23, 2021, and quickly intensified into a hurricane.

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By September 25, Sam was a Category 4 hurricane, 
and on September 26,

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the storm's sustained winds reached 155 miles per hour, the strongest of the 2021 season.

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Sam also rapidly intensified at the fastest rate on record for a storm located that far east in the Atlantic this late in the calendar year.

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NOAA satellites monitored Sam as it rapidly strengthened,

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weakened, and then re-intensified over the course of a few days.

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Satellite observations showed convective bursts and the presence of a defined, stable eye

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during rapid intensification.

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Significant lightning activity was also seen within the eyewall as Sam rapidly intensified.

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A rapid increase in cloud top temperatures showed brief weakening of the storm, before Sam re-intensified.

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Despite fluctuations in intensity, Sam has maintained major hurricane strength since September 25.

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Though Sam is not forecast to make landfall, large swells will 

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likely affect the East Coast of the United States and Canada in the coming days.

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As Sam moves northward through the Atlantic, NOAA satellites will continue to track the storm.

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Earth from Orbit: Hurricane Sam Powers Across the Atlantic

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NASA Meatball

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