Raleigh (North Carolina), Sept. 14 (Reuters): Heavy rains and gusty winds on Hurricane Ophelia’s outer fringes pelted the North Carolina coast today and forecasters said the storm was moving so slowly its assault could last for two days.

At 1200 GMT, the hurricane's centre was about 96 km south of Wilmington, North Carolina. It was moving north-northeast and the eye was expected to move across the state’s southeastern coast and then pass near the Outer Banks, the chain of islands along its northern coast, tomorrow.

The outer squalls were pounding the coastline and the storm kicked up high waves that nibbled away at beaches. Ophelia was moving very slowly, creeping along at 10 kmph).

“This is likely to result in an excruciatingly long passage of the hurricane along the North Carolina coast over the next couple of days,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned.

Ophelia had top sustained winds of 128 kmph and could strengthen slightly before moving ashore. That made it a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, capable of flooding coastal areas.