Hurricane Kirk in the open Atlantic Ocean is strengthening and forecast to grow larger (Picture: NOAA)

Hurricane Kirk in the open Atlantic Ocean is forecast to strengthen and become a major system.

The tropical depression became a tropical storm on Monday and developed into aCategory 1 Hurricane on Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 5pm on Tuesday, Hurricane Kirk had sustained winds of 90mph and was moving northwest at 12mph from about 1,330 miles northwest of Cabo Verde Islands.

It has the potential to become the third major hurricane of this season, said WPBF 25 Certified First Warning meteorologist Brooke Silverang.

All current models have Kirk remaining in the open Atlantic and not barreling toward the US. They show the system moving north and into the middle of the Atlantic.

However, the hurricane center is tracking two other systems in the Atlantic basin, including one that appears to pose a threat to Florida or the Gulf Coast as soon as this weekend.

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