In brief
Hurricane Gabrielle, currently a Category 3 storm, has prompted a hurricane warning for the Azores as it approaches late Thursday. Forecasts indicate dangerous conditions, including potential coastal flooding and destructive waves. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Narda has escalated to a Category 2 storm, moving westward away from Mexico.
MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane warning has been issued for the Azores as Hurricane Gabrielle churns across open Atlantic waters on track for the volcanic archipelago, forecasters said.
The Category 3 storm is forecast to weaken but still approach the Azores late Thursday as a hurricane, with life-threatening surf and rip currents expected.
Waves generated by Gabrielle will affect Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward, and the Atlantic coast of Canada. Significant coastal flooding and large, destructive waves are anticipated, with forecasts predicting up to 5 inches (13 cm) of rain across the central and western Azores from Thursday into Friday.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Narda intensified into a Category 2 storm, moving away from Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph (169 km/h) and was centered approximately 540 miles south of Baja California, progressing west with no coastal watches or warnings currently in effect.
The hurricane warning was officially issued by the Meteorological Service of Portugal, according to the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center.
