Tropical Storm Ophelia threatens wind, rain and storm surge for US mid-Atlantic

North Carolina and Virginia governors declare states of emergency ahead of expected landfall on Saturday morning

Tropical Storm Ophelia formed off the mid-Atlantic coast and was expected to bring heavy rain, storm surge and windy conditions over the weekend, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Friday.

Ophelia had maximum sustained winds of 60mph (95km/h), according to a 2pm advisory from the Miami-based center. The storm was centered 150 miles (240km) south-east of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and was forecast to make landfall on Saturday morning.