(Reuters) - Hurricane Gert, swirling away from land in the Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia, strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Hurricane Gert was located some 410 miles (665 km) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was headed further out to sea to the northeast with maximum sustained winds of about 100 miles per hour (155 kph), the NHC said.

“Little change in strength is expected through tonight, but weakening is forecast to begin on Thursday. Gert should become an extratropical low by early Friday,” the Miami-based weather forecaster said.

Gert was a Category 2, the second weakest grading on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale.