Former Hurricane Gabrielle threatens the Azores with heavy rain and storm surge

MIAMI (AP) – The former Hurricane Gabrielle was expected to bring hurricane conditions including heavy rain, a storm surge and large, destructive waves to the Azores islands starting Thursday, despite being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center declared Gabrielle post-tropical, a characterization that simply means the system lacks typical “tropical characteristics.” But the threat of severe weather impacts still remained through Friday.

Gabrielle was about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of the Azores, according to the latest advisory from the weather center. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was traveling east-northeast east at 30 mph (48 kph).

Swells expected to produce coastal flooding, life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were starting to reach the Azores. Even after the storm’s center passes, forecasters warned that hurricane-force wind gusts are likely across parts of the islands. Impacts from Gabrielle were forecast to reach Portugal over the weekend.

A dangerous storm surge accompanied by large and destructive waves is expected to produce significant coastal flooding in areas of onshore winds. Through Friday, Gabrielle may bring up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain across the central Azores, which could produce flash flooding in the mountains. The eastern and western Azores could get up to 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain.

Tropical Storm Humberto, which formed Wednesday near the Caribbean islands, was located 470 miles (760 kilometers) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and was traveling northwest at 6 mph (9 kph), forecasters said in the latest update.

Maximum sustained winds strengthened to 60 mph (95 kph), and Humberto was expected to become a hurricane by Friday.

By the weekend, the tropical storm could be a major hurricane, said Brad Reinhart, a senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center. Currently, the forecast keeps the center of Humberto well offshore the United States, he said.

A cluster of storms located west of Humberto has dropped heavy rain on the Dominican Republic. On Wednesday, the disturbance caused flooding in parts of Puerto Rico, sweeping away one car and killing its driver as he attempted to cross a bridge, authorities said. The man’s body was found Thursday in the southwestern town of Yauco.

Forecasters expect that tropical disturbance to become a tropical depression over the next couple of days near the Bahamas. There is “significant uncertainty” for its track or intensity, but the chances for impacts from wind, rain and storm surge in part of the southeastern coast of the United States are increasing, forecasters have warned.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said residents of coastal areas in the Southeast U.S. need to pay attention as the weather feature known as Invest 94L continues to develop. In a statement Thursday, FEMA said its staff “is ready to respond swiftly, if needed.”

“FEMA urges residents to prepare now,” the agency said. “People should sign up for weather alerts and follow directions from their state and local emergency management officials.”

In the Pacific, Hurricane Narda was moving away from Mexico, forecasters said. It had top sustained winds of about 90 mph (150 kph) in the latest update from forecasters. It was expected to restrengthen and could become a Category 2 hurricane again by Friday, forecasters said.

Narda was about 700 miles (1,130 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, and it was moving west at 16 mph (24 kph). No coastal watches or warnings were in effect as the hurricane was expected to continue moving further offshore.

Swells generated by Narda could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions to some parts of coastal Mexico, forecasters said. They were expected to spread to parts of Baja California Sur and reach southern California over the weekend.