The Azores Weather Forecast and Monitoring Center at the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) announced that tropical cyclone Gabrielle is currently “approximately 3,000 kilometers southwest of the Western group” (Flores and Corvo) of the Azores, “moving northwestward, and is expected to intensify in the coming hours.”
The latest update indicates the cyclone’s center is expected to pass between the Western Group (Flores and Corvo) and the Central Group (Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge, and Faial) on Friday, “classified as a Category 1 hurricane,” stated Elsa Vieira, a meteorologist at the Azores branch of IPMA.
If the trajectory remains consistent, all islands are forecasted to experience worsening weather conditions as the cyclone approaches the archipelago.
On Friday, from the early hours, rain is expected across all islands, potentially becoming heavy in the Western and Central Groups. The wind is expected to intensify with gusts ranging from 120 to 150 kilometers per hour (initially from the southwest, shifting to the northwest), according to IPMA.
Sea conditions are also forecast to worsen, with waves reaching significant heights of seven to eight meters and maximum heights of 14 to 15 meters (from the southwest, shifting to the northwest).
Given “the geographical and temporal distance of the cyclone,” IPMA noted that “there remains some uncertainty regarding its trajectory and intensity, which could lead to changes in the currently available forecast.”
