In brief
Hurricane Gabrielle has escalated to a dangerous Category 3 status, bringing sustained winds of 120 mph as it moves north in the Atlantic Ocean. While it poses threats through swells and rip currents affecting Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast, forecasts suggest it will remain distant from land. This year's hurricane season has been relatively calm, with Gabrielle being only the second named storm thus far.
MIAMI (AP) — Gabrielle strengthened into a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday but was forecast to remain away from land. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported that Gabrielle's maximum sustained winds increased to 120 mph (191 kph), categorizing it as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The storm was located about 195 miles (314 kilometers) southeast of Bermuda, moving north at approximately 10 mph (16 kph). Having escalated from a Category 1 hurricane just the day before, Gabrielle intensified due to warm Atlantic waters, with its current path taking it east of Bermuda. Swells generated by the storm affected Bermuda from Sunday and are impacting the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina up to Canada's Atlantic coastline, leading to warnings of potentially life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Despite the activity from Gabrielle, this has been a relatively quiet Atlantic hurricane season, with only one named storm prior to Gabrielle's emergence. Experts note that while the season has seen reduced activity, it does not rule out the formation of dangerous systems in the future, as the hurricane season runs until November 30. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Narda has also formed, located offshore Mexico, but poses no immediate threat to land as it is projected to become a hurricane shortly.
