Subtropical Storm Josephine heads away from East Coast

By Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce

(CNN) — Subtropical Storm Josephine is starting to accelerate away from the Eastern Seaboard where it continues be a nuisance along the coast.

The storm is 195 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, and has 65 mph sustained winds as of Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Some strengthening is expected over the next day or so, and Josephine could have winds as strong as a Category 1 hurricane by late Thursday as it heads farther out to sea and becomes a post-tropical storm.

Subtropical storms share some characteristics with tropical systems like hurricanes, including drawing energy from warm ocean water, but also have features of non-tropical storms like nor’easters.

Josephine will lose those tropical characteristics once it becomes post-tropical, but the distinction makes little difference when it comes to impacts. These storms are capable of strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding.

Fortunately, most of Josephine’s wind and rain will remain over the open Atlantic. Breezy to windy conditions will continue to impact parts of the East Coast through Thursday, particularly Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Coastal flooding is also possible around high tide from the Mid-Atlantic to Cape Cod through Friday.

With most of the rain staying offshore, much of the East Coast is expected to remain dry through the end of the week and into the weekend.

Josephine is the 10th named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which continues to run well behind schedule.

The 10th named storm typically forms in late September, but a powerful El Niño has helped suppress storm activity in the Atlantic this season.

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