Hurricane Gabrielle strengthened to a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (with a maximum of 5) yesterday, and is expected to reach the Azores by the end of the week, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). The Meteored weather information project indicates it could also reach mainland Portugal.
Similar to the NHC’s forecast, Meteored also predicts that the Azores archipelago “will be affected next Friday, September 26, by the cyclonic system currently known as Gabrielle, a category 1 hurricane.”
At the time it impacts the Azorean islands, this system may, however, be transitioning to a storm.
According to geographer Alfredo Graça, responsible for Meteored, “there is still some uncertainty regarding the islands potentially most affected by Gabrielle, as well as the magnitude of the impacts.” However, the “currently detailed” data indicate that the “Azores will indeed be hit by Gabrielle, whether as a category 1 hurricane or already weakened, as a subtropical storm.”
Upon reaching the Azores, Gabrielle will bring rain and wind. The Western Group will be most affected by the rains, “with values close to 130 mm of accumulated precipitation expected on the island of Flores”.
“On the other islands, accumulated rain will be substantially less, but still in quite significant quantities (generally between 15 and 30 mm). Thunderstorms could appear across all Azorean islands”, as stated in the forecast sent to Notícias ao Minuto.
The wind will blow more strongly in the Western and Central Groups with “gusts up to 150 km/h, especially on the island of Flores.” As for sea agitation, a maximum wave height between 6 and 15 meters is expected across the entire archipelago.
Gabrielle’s impact reaches mainland Portugal
The same expert says that Gabrielle, as a hurricane, will not reach mainland Portugal, but some of its effects may still be felt.
This is because there is the possibility of low pressures and the “usual Atlantic depressions,” which may “affect the weather in mainland Portugal from next Sunday, September 28.”
This means that although it no longer qualifies as a hurricane, Portugal could feel its effects through “wind, some rain, and sea agitation.”
Hurricane affects U.S.
It is noteworthy that the intense hurricane was still over 2,000 miles (3,230 kilometers) west of the Azores on Monday night. However, meteorologists project that the system will continue north and east in the coming days and could approach the Azorean islands by the end of the week.
The NHC also reported that Gabrielle will continue to affect the eastern U.S. coast, from North Carolina upwards, as well as Atlantic Canada, and that large waves will create dangerous conditions and rip currents.
Currently, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, although authorities have advised Bermudas’ residents to stay alert to the cyclone’s development.
So far, seven cyclones have formed in the Atlantic this year: Hurricane Erin and storms Andrea, Barry, Dexter, Fernand, and Chantal. The latter was the only one to make landfall in the United States, where it caused two deaths in July, in North Carolina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an “above-normal” hurricane season, estimating between 13 and 18 tropical storms, of which five to nine could transform into hurricanes.
