Gaston Returns to Major Hurricane Strength

Storm Going Through Fluctuations in Intensity

While we continue to watch two tropical depressions off the coast of the United States, Hurricane Gaston continues to head rapidly to the east in the Central Atlantic. The storm has returned to major hurricane strength, and actually peaked at 120 miles per hour yesterday before weakening slightly to minimal Category Three Strength. Gaston could threaten the Azores later in the week.

Currently, as of the 11:00 AM EDT Advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Gaston was located some 1,150 miles to the West of Faial Island in the Central Azores, or approximately 1,235 miles to the West of Lajes Air Base in the Azores. Maximum sustained winds are down slightly to 115 miles per hour with gusts up to 140 miles per hour.

Minimum central pressure is 961 millibars, or 28.38 inches of Hg (Mercury). Gaston is a fairly good sized system with hurricane force winds extending some 45 miles from the eye, and tropical storm force winds reaching out some 175 miles from the center of circulation. The storm is beginning to enter an area more hostile towards development with cooler sea surface temperatures.

Looking at the latest forecast track from the NHC, Gaston is heading rapidly to the East-Northeast, and is expected to reach the Western Azores as a tropical storm by mid morning on Friday, and will be through the entire Azores chain by Saturday. The intensity forecast has the hurricane going through a slow weakening phase as it continues to move into gradually cooler water, and also encounters some shear. Gaston will remain at least a Category Two Hurricane over the next 24 hours.

However, once Gaston gets beyond 36 hours, the storm will weaken to a minimal hurricane, and then a tropical storm by 48 hours before becoming post-tropical within four days. Residents of the Azores should closely monitor the progress of this system, and be prepared to take action if the storm does do as forecast, and come this way. This will be the second time that a hurricane or tropical storm will be affecting the Azores.

Back in January, there was a rare Atlantic Hurricane when Alex developed from a subtropical storm into a Hurricane, and approached the Azores with 85 mile per hour winds. Alex kicked off what has been a wild and more active season in 2016 by being the first of four named storms to form by the end of June. So far this season, there have been 9 depressions, 7 named storms, 3 hurricanes, and one major hurricane (Gaston).