Hurricane Lorenzo is travelling across the Atlantic towards Europe. The powerful storm is moving at 14mph north northwest with winds of 140mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Confidence is relatively high that the storm will directly hit the Azores, likely impacting the island as a Category 3 storm, however, this will be determined by the direction and development of the storm over the coming hours.
Hurricane Lorenzo is the fifth hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane season.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the centre of the storm is located near latitude 19.4 north, longitude 42.9 west, which is around 1600 miles southwest of the Azores.
The storm is moving north northwest at 14mph and is expected to keep this motion through the rest of the day.
The NOAA advisory reads: “A turn toward the north is expected tonight or on Saturday, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Sunday.
“Maximum sustained winds are near 140mph (220kmh) with higher gusts.
“Lorenzo is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
“Some fluctuations in strength are possible today, and slow weakening is forecast to begin by the weekend.
“Lorenzo is a large hurricane.
“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75km) from the centre, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 265 miles (425km).”
The 140mph Lorenzo is currently generating large swells which are impacting portions of the northeastern coast of South America and the Lesser Antilles beginning later today through Saturday.
The NOAA will issue the next advisory at 5pm AST.
The NHC is also monitoring tropical depression Karen which could become a remnany low or degenerate into a trough at any time.
As of 11am AST (4pm BST) the storm was located near latitude 28.8 north, longitude 59.6 west, which is roughly southeast of Bermuda.
Karen had recorded winds of 35mph and was moving east northeastwards at 8mph.
The advisory reads: “Additional weakening is forecast, and Karen is expected to either become a remnant low or open up into a trough of low pressure by tonight.”
Aside from these two storms, the NHC is also monitoring two disturbances in the eastern north Pacific.
The first is a low pressure system which appears to be forming a few hundred miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico.
Although the associated shower and thunderstorm activity is not well organised, this system is likely to become a tropical depression or tropical storm during the next couple of days while it moves west-northwestward to northwestward at about 10mph near the southern and southwestern coast of Mexico.
The NHC warns that regardless of development, heavy rainfall, with the possibility of flash flooding and mudslides, is expected near the southern and southwestern coast of Mexico during the next few days.
The chance of formation through 48 hours is 70 percent, whereas the chance of formation through five days is 80 percent.
The second disturbance being monitored is a small area of low pressure located a few hundred miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, is producing very little shower activity.
The low is expected to be absorbed by the larger weather disturbance near the coast of Mexico during the next day or so, and therefore development is not expected.
The chance of formation through 48 hour or five days at near zero percent.