UPDATE: Hurricane Gordon Passes Azores; Expected to Weaken

August 20, 2012

In a bulletin issued at 5:00 a.m. AST, The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Gordon has passed “through the Eastern Azores Islands,” and is “expected to become a post-tropical cyclone later today.” The storm’s center was about 50 miles, 80 km east of Santa Maria Island in the Azores.

Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 75 mph, 120 km/h. It is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The NHC said “gradual weakening is forecast over the next couple of days.”

The storm is moving east-northeast at around 15 mph, 24 km/h. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles, 55 km, from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles,185 km.”

The NHC said a “gradual decrease in forward speed and a turn toward the east is expected over the next couple of days. On the forecast track Gordon will move away from the Eastern Azores Islands later today.

Tropical storm and hurricane conditions are affecting portions of the Eastern Azores Islands,” but the bulletin said “these conditions will gradually subside later this morning and afternoon as Gordon moves away from the Azores.” Between 3 and 6 inches of rain is forecast, as the storm passes the Azores.

Source: National Hurricane Center

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane

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