 One of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, it formed on August 7 from a tropical wave between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde.Diane initially moved west-northwestward with little change in its intensity, but began to strengthen rapidly after turning to the north-northeast.On August 12, the hurricane reached peak sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h), making it a Category 2 hurricane.