Forecast: Earl Likely To Pass 50 Miles Off Nantucket

BOSTON — Residents across eastern Massachusetts are closely watching Hurricane Earl as it makes its way up the East Coast. The storm was off the North Carolina coast Friday morning.

Gov. Deval Patrick is asking residents in low-lying areas to consider leaving their homes as the hurricane is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Massachusetts’ south coast, as well as Cape Cod and the islands with up to six inches of rain coming Friday night.

For the latest on the Earl forecast, National Weather Service meteorologist Eleanor Talbot joined WBUR early Friday.