Hurricane Humberto is now a Cat 3. Here’s where the storm is and where it is heading
Humberto, a Category 3 hurricane, is no longer considered a threat to the U.S., but Florida is still feeling its effects this week.
Where is Humberto?
Humberto is in the Atlantic moving east-northeast near 16 mph and is about 310 miles west of Bermuda.
The storm’s center is expected to pass just north of Bermuda Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. advisory Wednesday.
How strong is the storm?
Humberto is a stronger Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 120 mph, according to the advisory.
The hurricane saw a fairly busy day of development Tuesday when it strengthened into a Category 2 and then into a Category 3 within hours.
The storm’s hurricane-force winds are continuing to grow in size and are extending up to 105 miles from the center, with tropical storm-force winds extending up to 195 miles from the center.
The storm’s strength may fluctuate within the next 12 hours, according to the forecast, but it should stay at Category 3-level strength at least until late Thursday, when it’s expected to begin weakening. Wednesday’s 11 a.m. forecast shows it downgrading back into a tropical storm Friday, a day earlier than what a previous forecast suggested.
Is Humberto still affecting Florida?
While Florida doesn’t have to worry about prepping for a hurricane again, boaters and swimmers should be careful if they’re taking a trip to the beach. The National Hurricane Center says swells will affect the northwestern Bahamas and the southeastern coast of the United States from east-central Florida to North Carolina during the next couple of days.
These hazardous marine conditions could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents at least until Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service’s high rip current risk statement.
What will Humberto do to Bermuda?
Bermuda is under a hurricane warning, as of early Wednesday, and is expected to start feeling tropical storm-force winds Wednesday afternoon. Hurricane-force winds will arrive late Wednesday and into Thursday morning.
Forecasters predict the island will see up to six inches of heavy rain with one to three feet of storm surge, large swells and “dangerous breaking waves” along the immediate southern coast of Bermuda, possibly causing coastal flooding into Thursday.
An offshore NOAA buoy has already reported wave heights exceeding 30 feet.
This story was originally published September 17, 2019 at 7:07 AM.
