As Hurricane Florence bears down on the U.S. east coast, weather satellites are monitoring its strength and speed, as well as recording some incredible images of the massive storm.

A satellite image released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Florence still some distance away from the U.S. east coast. However, the National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Florence is on track to hit the area around North and South Carolina by Friday, and forecasters warned the storm could be “life threatening” by the time it strikes.

The NOAA also released a “mesmerizing loop” showing Hurricane Florence from space. It said the storm, currently brewing above the Atlantic Ocean, had weakened to Category 1 strength, but is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall on the U.S. mainland.

If and when Florence makes landfall, it’ll be the first major Atlantic hurricane of the 2018 season to hit the mainland U.S.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Billy Perrigo at billy.perrigo@time.com.