Sand bags surround homes on North Topsail Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, as Hurricane Florence threatens the coast. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Hurricane Florence weakened to a Category 2 storm on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Centre, but remained on course to deliver a powerful blow to the US east coast.

"Florence is now a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale," with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph), the NHC said in its latest update at 0300 GMT.