SPAIN is bracing for the potential arrival of Hurricane Gabrielle this weekend, as the Category 3 storm currently battering Bermuda sets its sights on Europe.
The hurricane, packing winds of up to 195 kilometres per hour, is moving through Atlantic waters at 17 km/h and has already begun affecting the US coastline.
However, forecasters warn that its exact trajectory remains uncertain until it reaches the Azores later this week.
The potential storm arrival comes as Spain grapples with dramatic weather changes that have already turned deadly.
The country has seen temperatures plummet by almost 20C in some areas over recent days, while intense rainfall in Catalunya claimed two lives – a father and son swept away by flooding in the Sant Quinti de Mediona river.
Climatologist Samuel Biener from weather specialist Meteored has urged residents to ‘pay attention to what happens in the Atlantic towards the end of the week, as Hurricane Gabrielle is pointing towards Europe.’
While the storm may strengthen further in the coming hours – potentially reaching Category 4 status – experts predict it will begin weakening from Thursday as it approaches the Azores.
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By the time it reaches Spanish shores, Gabrielle would likely have transformed into a subtropical storm rather than maintaining its full hurricane strength.
“Most scenarios currently bring Gabrielle towards the peninsular northwest over the weekend, in principle as a low-pressure system, but we cannot completely rule out that it maintains some tropical characteristics,” Biener explained.
The storm’s final path will become clearer once it reaches the Azores.
Current models suggest two main possibilities: a north-northeast trajectory that would see it largely bypass the Iberian Peninsula, or an eastward path based on European forecasting models that could see it make direct contact with Spain on Sunday.
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Should the eastern scenario prove accurate, Spain’s northwestern regions would bear the brunt of the impact, experiencing heavy rainfall, strong winds and a further drop in temperatures.
However, by then Gabrielle would most likely have transitioned into a tropical storm system rather than maintaining its current hurricane status.
Forecasters stress that residents in potentially affected areas should monitor updates closely as the week progresses.
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