Hurricane Fred has intensified rapidly on the far eastern tropical Atlantic and is forecasted to become a major hurricane later Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said today.

With maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, Fred is currently a category two hurricane.

By 5:00 a.m. EST, when the latest hurricane advisory was released by the NHC, the hurricane was located about 500 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde islands

Weakening won't begin until Thursday, according to the NHC. Fred is moving west-northwest at 13 mph.

A new advisory is expected to be released at 11:00 a.m. EST.

Hurricane