Hurricane Gabrielle forms in Atlantic; Tropical Storm Narda forms off Pacific coast
Gabrielle strengthens to Category 1 and could intensify further as it tracks near Bermuda; Narda remains offshore with no land threat.
Hurricane Gabrielle formed Sunday in the open Atlantic southeast of Bermuda and strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm was centered about 320 miles southeast of Bermuda and was moving north-northwest at 10 mph as forecasters warned of possible rapid intensification in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Forecasters said Gabrielle could grow stronger over the next day or so as it traverses warm Atlantic waters, potentially becoming a major hurricane in the early part of the workweek. On the current forecast track, Gabrielle was expected to pass east of Bermuda on Monday. A hurricane hunter aircraft had found the storm at hurricane strength and noted the system was following a generally north-northwest track, with a forecast shift toward a more northerly course expected Monday.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for Bermuda, but meteorologists urged residents and interests on the island to monitor the storm closely as large swells generated by Gabrielle already were affecting the surrounding waters. Those swells are expected to push toward the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward into Atlantic Canada over the coming days.
In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Narda emerged well offshore of southern Mexico on Sunday afternoon and posed no threat to land. The National Hurricane Center said Narda had top sustained winds near 40 mph and was located about 240 miles south-southeast of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, while moving to the northwest at 10 mph. The center said Narda could become a hurricane while heading farther offshore.
The two systems illustrate the ongoing activity across the Americas this season, with tropical development continuing in both the Atlantic and Pacific basins. Forecasters cautioned that even storms that stay offshore can generate dangerous swells and rip currents along coastlines, underscoring the importance of monitoring official advisories and forecasts as conditions change across days.