After Irene strengthens on its fierce path through the Bahamas, the hurricane will take aim at the North Carolina Outer Banks and New England this weekend.

Irene intensified into a Category 3 hurricane (the threshold for major hurricane classification) this morning.

Irene will likely then strengthen into a powerful Category 4 hurricane during its dangerous assault on the Bahamas into Thursday.

After leaving the Bahamas, Irene will take aim at the North Carolina Outer Banks and New England this weekend. Florida and Georgia will be spared in the process.

Irene will strike the Outer Banks Saturday afternoon or evening, but the hurricane’s pounding on the eastern Carolinas will begin much sooner.

The outermost rain bands of Irene will reach the eastern Carolinas on Friday. Tropical moisture from Irene interacting with a front could also lead to locally heavy rain across northeastern North Carolina and neighboring Virginia this day.

Rain and wind will increase across the easternmost tip of South Carolina and eastern North Carolina om Friday night into Saturday.

The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center is expecting Irene to slam into eastern New England as a Category 1 hurricane late on Sunday or Sunday evening, accompanied by damaging winds and a flooding storm surge.

Torrential rainfall will arrive much sooner and overspread the mid-Atlantic prior to the New England landfall, threatening to cause widespread flooding problems.

The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center has the latest information on Hurricane Irene, as well as a plethora of impact maps for the next 24 hours.

(Source: AccuWeather.com)