Irene in NY
Irene in NY REUTERS/Mike Segar

Hurricane Irene will deliver a storm surge of up to 8 feet, rainfall of up to 15 inches and isolated tornadoes as it churns toward New York City over the next several hours, the U.S.

National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

Irene remains a Category 1, the lowest level of hurricane classification, with maximum sustained winds near 75 miles per hour, the hurricane center said.