WASHINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Tropical Storm Chris has strengthened into a hurricane while moving away from the U.S. coast in the Atlantic Ocean, weather forecasters said Tuesday.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT on Tuesday), Chris had winds of 85 miles (137 km) per hour, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

The center of Chris was 205 miles (330 km) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, state of North Carolina, and was heading northeast at 10 miles (16 km) per hour, the NHC said.

The storm could produce heavy surf and create life-threatening rip currents, it said. Local officials were advised to monitor the storm's movement.

Chris, the second hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to gain strength Tuesday and Wednesday before weakening on Thursday.