Waves crash in Rodanthe Pier as Hurricane Dorian make its way to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. (AFP)

Hurricane Dorian weakened to a Category 1 storm early Friday as it closed in on the coast of North Carolina, US meteorologists said.

Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of near 90 mph (150 kilometers per hour), down from 100 miles per hour, according to the latest update from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

"Slow weakening is expected during the next few days. However, Dorian should remain a powerful hurricane as the center moves near or along the coast of North Carolina," it said.