Azores on High Alert as Hurricane Gabrielle Races Toward Europe

As the peak of the 2025 hurricane season approaches, forecasters are closely monitoring three systems in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Gabrielle, which has lost its tropical characteristics, is racing toward the Azores Islands and is expected to bring destructive winds, storm surge flooding, and heavy rainfall to the region overnight into Friday. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Humberto is poised to become a major hurricane in the southwestern Atlantic, though it is not expected to directly affect land within the next five days.

Behind Humberto, a new disturbance over the Greater Antilles has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression by this weekend as it moves through The Bahamas. While the long-term track and intensity of this system remain uncertain, the chances of wind, rainfall, and storm surge impacts for a portion of the southeastern US coast are increasing. This is unwelcome news for western North Carolina, which is still recovering from the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene last September.

Forecasters are urging residents in the affected areas to closely monitor the progress of these systems and be prepared to take necessary precautions. The 2025 hurricane season has already seen three major hurricanes, a rare occurrence that has not been observed in 90 years. As the peak of the season approaches, the potential for more powerful storms to develop remains high.