Tropical Storm Nadine shifted course to the northwest Thursday, still packing powerful winds near hurricane strength but posing no threat to land, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The Miami-based NHC said the storm, with top winds of 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour, could strengthen further and become a hurricane within the next two days. It placed Nadine's current location at about 765 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, running from June 1 to November 30, has thus far seen 14 tropical storms, seven of which have become hurricanes.

In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Kirsty was just to the northeast of Socorro Island as it moved west-northwestward at 10 miles per hour with top winds of 50 miles per hour.

Although the storm presented no major hazard to land, the NHC warned of "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions caused by Kristy at portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico and southern Baja California peninsula for the next day or two.