Humberto Strengthens to Category 3, Imelda Threatens Southeast

As of September 27th, 2025, Hurricane Humberto has rapidly intensified and is now a powerful Category 3 storm over the central Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center reports that Humberto's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph, with even higher gusts.

While Humberto is not currently a direct threat to land, the storm is expected to generate swells that will begin affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda this weekend. These swells could create dangerous surf conditions along the East Coast of the United States next week.

Forecasters are also closely monitoring a separate system in the northeastern Caribbean that has a high likelihood of developing into Tropical Storm Imelda in the next 48 hours. This system could pose an even greater risk to parts of the southeastern United States, though its exact path remains uncertain at this time.

The Fujiwhara effect, a rare phenomenon where two hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other to begin an intense dance around their common center, is a possibility as Humberto and Imelda approach each other. While it's unlikely the storms will fully combine, the interaction could lead to unpredictable changes in their individual paths and intensities.