Hurricane Florence strengthens, churns toward U.S. Southeast coast

A photo taken from the International Space Station by astronaut Ricky Arnold shows Hurricane Florence over the Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours of September 6, 2018. Picture taken September 6, 2018. Courtesy @astro_ricky/NASA/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Category 1 hurricane Florence gained strength on Sunday in the central Atlantic and is expected to turn into a major storm by Monday night as it churns over the open ocean and heads towards the U.S. East Coast, the U.S. hurricane agency said.

Landfall is expected in the Carolinas later this week, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).