Hurricane Lorenzo is forecast to develop into a major hurricane in the next 24 hours, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned. The powerful storm is currently packing winds of 85mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Wind Scale. To be categorised as a major hurricane, wind strength would have to be more than 111mph.
If Lorenzo was to make landfall as a major hurricane, devastating damage will occur.
According to the wind scale “well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends.”
It added: “Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads.
“Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.”
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NOAA has located Lorenzo approximately 712 miles west of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands.
The hurricane’s current movement is west-northwestward at 17mph.
This motion is expected through Thursday, the weather agency said.
However, a turn toward the northwest is expected late on Thursday or Thursday night.
While the guidance from NOAA agrees with this scenario, there is “some spread on the longitude of the recurvature between the easternmost GFS model and the westernmost ECMWF model”, the agency noted.
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The new forecast lies between these models in best overall agreement with the HCCA corrected consensus guidance.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.
There are currently no hazards affecting land as the storm continues to become better organised.
According to NOAA, Lorenzo should remain over warm water during the next three days.
That means Lorenzo will be far off any coastlines during the height of its strength.
However, long-range forecasters have warned Ireland could be hit with the tail-end effect of Lorenzo next week.
Irish Weather Online said the hurricane will be close to the coast of Europe in the coming week.
Forecaster Prof Peter O’Donnell said: “Lorenzo is predicted to become a Category 3 Hurricane southwest of the Azores and now shows some signs of heading straight towards western Europe next week.
“The charts currently weaken it just before it arrives, and the centre goes to the south of Ireland rather than continuing on across Ireland, so in that event, the weather would likely be overcast and drizzly mid-week.
“Some warmer air is also lurking for later next week after the near miss from Lorenzo’s remnants.
“All of this is somewhat speculative and obviously subject to change, but all scenarios that we have seen in recent days have the common feature of active weather in a southwest flow and more cloud than clear skies, with frequent rain.”