Arthur nearing North Carolina coast: NHC

(Reuters) - The eye of hurricane Arthur was nearing the coast of North Carolina and the core of the system is expected to pass near or over the coast and the outer banks tonight, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. It was now located about 35 miles (55 km) south of Cape Fear, North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (150 kph), the NHC said. (Reporting by Arpan Varghese in Bangalore; Editing by Chris Reese)