Hurricane Ophelia intensifies to Category 4

MIAMI - Hurricane Ophelia has intensified to a Category 4 storm as it passes east of Bermuda and heads north toward Newfoundland, where the entire Avalon Peninsula is under a tropical storm watch.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Saturday evening that Ophelia had maximum sustained winds near 135 mph (217 kph), up from 120 mph (193 kph) late Saturday afternoon.

It was moving north at 26 mph (42 kph) and was 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Bermuda. It was expected to weaken rapidly late Sunday, though tropical-storm-force winds are possible on the Avalon Peninsula early Monday.

Ophelia is the season's fourth hurricane. Earlier, Ophelia caused flooding and cut off communities on Dominica.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe was stronger but it remained far from land in the Atlantic.