Forecasters: Hurricane Franklin likely to roil surf dangerously off Long Island

Long Island is not expected to see any weather remnants from two hurricanes south of New York, but some South Shore communities could see larger waves this week as a result of one of the storms churning offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

“There is a risk for high surf, dangerous rip currents and beach erosion” along southern Nassau and Suffolk county communities Wednesday into early Thursday, the National Weather Service warned.

The weather service warned that large swells may build from Hurricane Franklin, moving northeast into the Atlantic from the Carolinas.

Franklin, along with Hurricane Idalia, which was upgraded to a Category 2 storm Tuesday, are not expected to reach Long Island. Idalia was forecast to move Wednesday morning over western Florida before heading inland to the north.

Both storms are forecast to drift into the Atlantic without bringing any rain, wind or tropical weather over New York, meteorologists say.

“Franklin is tracking northeast, offshore, with no direct impact on land,” said Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Upton. “Idalia is now a hurricane in the Gulf … we expect it to turn offshore and we do not expect any impacts in New York.”

Parts of Long Island, particularly along the East End and South Fork, could see waves between five to seven feet, Ramsey said. There is also potential for minor coastal flooding, including in the western South Shore bays.

Once Idalia moves over Florida, the storm is expected to move northeast, before making a hard turn Thursday over the Carolinas and out to sea, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“The storms are too far offshore to affect anything [on Long Island] directly from the hurricane,” Ramsey said. “Idalia is expected to track up the East Coast and turn due east into the Atlantic rather than move north.”

A band of showers moving over Long Island this week is unrelated to the two hurricanes, officials said.

Long Island is expected to see unrelated showers through Wednesday morning, with clear skies forecast for the rest of the week with highs in the mid to low 70s, according to the weather service.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.