Hurricane Gabrielle continues its path across the Atlantic as a powerful Category 4 storm, with the Azores in its crosshairs for Thursday night into Friday. The National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Watch for all of the Azores.
At 11AM Wednesday, Gabrielle was located 1285 miles west of the Azores with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph, moving toward the east-northeast at 25 mph. The hurricane is expected to maintain this trajectory with some additional acceleration over the next several days.
The storm's hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 150 miles from the eye. Although steady weakening is expected during the next couple of days, Gabrielle is still forecast to remain a hurricane when it moves through the Azores.
The Hurricane Watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. Watches are typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, when conditions make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
Beyond the immediate threat to the Azores, Gabrielle continues to generate dangerous swells affecting Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward, and Atlantic Canada. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions over the next couple of days.
Other tropical activity
We are monitoring two other systems in the Atlantic:
Central and Western Tropical Atlantic (AL93):
A tropical wave designated as Invest 93L located about 700 miles east of the Lesser Antilles is showing increasing signs of organization and is likely to develop into a tropical depression within the next couple of days. The National Hurricane Center forecasts favorable environmental conditions for continued development.
Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with the tropical wave continues to organize as the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward into the western tropical Atlantic. Formation chances are 90% through 48 hours and 90% through seven days.
East of Leeward Islands (AL94):
A tropical wave designated as Invest 94L is producing a large area of disorganized showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds across much of the Windward and Leeward Islands. The system is expected to bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Tuesday night and Wednesday as it moves west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts the system will slow down and turn northwestward when it reaches the southwestern Atlantic near the Bahamas late this week. A tropical depression could form when the disturbance reaches that region.
Formation chances are currently rated at 30% through 48 hours and 80% through seven days, with development more likely once the system reaches the Bahamas area.
Interests in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas should monitor the progress of this system as it moves through the region over the coming days.
