The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Leslie is nearing hurricane strength as it barrels toward Bermuda.

As of Wednesday morning, Leslie's winds had reached 70 mph - just shy of the 74 mph required to become a Category 1 hurricane - and the storm was about 470 miles south of Bermuda.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts that Leslie could reach Bermuda with winds as fast as 110 mph, which would make the storm a Category 2 hurricane.

"Leslie is very near hurricane strength, and conditions are expected to become quite favorable for additional intensification to occur through at least 96 hours," said Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

Though Leslie is still a significant distance from making landfall, the outermost rings of the storm are reportedly already stirring high surf from Bermuda to the beaches of the United States' East Coast.

A high-surf advisory has already been issued in several areas in the northeast, including Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The National Weather Service also reports a risk of rip currents along the southern coast of Virginia, New Jersey and Long Island.

Presently, Leslie's powerful winds span about 230 miles wide - about the same distance from New York City to Boston.