Tropical Storm Nigel Intensifies Into a Hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean

Tropical Storm Nigel has recently transformed into a category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. Although it poses no immediate threat to any community as it is located far away from the coast, it is predicted to become a major category 3 hurricane by Tuesday, with sustained maximum winds of approximately 80 miles per hour.

National forecasters anticipate that Nigel will head towards the U.S. and the Caribbean over the next few days. However, by the end of Tuesday, the hurricane is expected to change course and move northward. It will gradually weaken by the middle of the week.

Currently situated in the middle of the ocean, more than 800 miles away from Bermuda, there are no coastal public advisories in effect. Forecasting maps from the National Weather Service suggest that the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall in the United States. Instead, it is projected to veer around and eventually move closer to Europe.

Prior to Nigel, Hurricane Lee posed a similar challenge in terms of predicting its path. Ultimately, forecasters determined that the storm would reach Canada’s coast. It made landfall over Nova Scotia as a post-tropical cyclone, causing significant damage including fallen trees, disrupted power lines, and power outages affecting thousands of people in Maine and along the Canadian coast.

Source: Tropical Storm Nigel Has Intensified Into a Hurricane