In brief
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Azores as Hurricane Gabrielle approaches, with forecasts indicating it may still be a hurricane when it arrives late Thursday. Dangerous conditions, including life-threatening surf and potential flooding, are anticipated. In the Pacific, Hurricane Narda is also gaining strength but remains offshore as it moves west away from Mexico.
MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane warning has been issued for the Azores as Hurricane Gabrielle churned Wednesday 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 dangerous conditions likely Thursday night and Friday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.
Waves generated by Gabrielle are expected to affect Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward, and the Atlantic coast of Canada. Life-threatening surf and rip currents pose a risk.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Narda strengthened into a Category 2 storm while moving away from Mexico, forecasters added.
Gabrielle was centered about 1,360 miles (2,189 kilometers) west of the Azores. The storm could result in significant coastal flooding and large, destructive waves, with forecasts indicating up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain across the central and western Azores from Thursday into Friday.
