The ports of Angra do Heroísmo, São Mateus on Terceira Island, and Praia da Graciosa on Graciosa Island will be closed from 6 p.m. local time (7 p.m. Lisbon time) Thursday to 6 p.m. local time Friday, as declared by António Marques, captain of Porto de Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island.
The closure of these ports is prompted by the anticipated “sea and wind conditions during the passage of Hurricane Gabrielle” through the Azores archipelago.
The initial impact of Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is expected in the Azores from late Thursday, with the storm arriving with Category 1 hurricane strength, as announced today.
The Azores Meteorological Forecast and Surveillance Center of the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) reported at 9 a.m. local time (10 a.m. Lisbon time) that Gabrielle was located approximately 2,190 kilometers west of the Western group of the Azores, moving east-northeast at 41 kilometers per hour.
According to meteorologist Rita Mota from the Azores division of IPMA, “currently, Cyclone Gabrielle is categorized as a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale” (ranging from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most severe category).
IPMA continues to predict that “the cyclone’s center should pass between the Western and Central groups, closer to the Central group islands.”
Adverse weather conditions are expected, particularly in the Western (Flores and Corvo) and Central (Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Graciosa, and Faial) groups, states IPMA.
The islands of the Western and Central groups will be under a red alert for heavy precipitation, maritime agitation, and wind, effective from Thursday night, due to the approaching cyclone.
For Flores and Corvo islands, the red alert for heavy precipitation is valid from 9 p.m. Thursday (10 p.m. Lisbon time) to 6 a.m. Friday.
IPMA has also issued a red alert for maritime agitation, for the period from midnight to 9 a.m. Friday, with southwest waves shifting north, with maximum wave height potentially reaching 14 to 18 meters.
The red alert for wind for these two islands is effective from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday, with winds from the east turning north.
In the Central group islands of Terceira, Faial, Pico, São Jorge, and Graciosa, a red wind alert (from the south turning northwest) is in effect from midnight to 9 a.m. Friday.
IPMA has also issued a red alert for the same group, valid from 3 a.m. to noon Friday, due to maritime agitation, with southwest waves transitioning northwest, with a maximum wave height potentially reaching 14 to 18 meters.
