Hurricane Arthur weakens to Category 1 as it heads up U.S. east coast

Vehicles make their way through high water as they drive after Hurricane Arthur passed through in Nags Head, North Carolina July 4, 2014. REUTERS/Chris Keane reuters_tickers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Hurricane Arthur, churning up parallel to the U.S. east coast, weakened to a Category 1 on Friday morning after swiping North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Independence Day.

The Hurricane Centre said it had maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (145 kph) as it pulled away from North Carolina and moved offshore.

(Reporting by Sandra Maler; Editing by James Dalgleish)