Tropical Storm Erin loses strength, now classified as a Category 3 hurricane, with meteorologists monitoring for a shift northward.
Hurricane Erin Threatens Southeast U.S. Coast and Bermuda
Erin, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is forecasted to track offshore but close enough to influence the Southeast U.S. coast and Bermuda.
Impacts on the Southeast U.S. Coast
Dangerous rip currents and life-threatening surf with wave heights of 15 to 20 feet are expected along the Southeast U.S. coast, posing serious risks for swimmers. Wind gusts of up to 30 mph might contribute to minor coastal flooding and hazardous conditions. A storm surge warning has been issued for parts of the Outer Banks, indicating a threat of life-threatening coastal inundation.
Gusty winds and flooding tides could wash out parts of the highway that connects the North Carolina Outer Banks by midweek. Although Erin is expected to run roughly parallel to the Eastern Seaboard and not make landfall, the large system’s hurricane-force winds extend up to 105 miles from its center and tropical storm-force winds up to 320 miles, influencing a broad area offshore and nearshore waters.
Impacts on Bermuda
The hurricane is expected to move over the western Atlantic between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda through early Friday. While Bermuda’s exact impact details aren’t specified, proximity to a large Category 2+ storm suggests potential for tropical-storm to hurricane-force gusts, heavy seas, and rough weather conditions.
Additional Impacts
After skirting the U.S. coast and Bermuda, ex-Hurricane Erin is projected to transition and influence Western Europe’s weather, bringing warm tropical air and unsettled conditions with strong winds and heavy rainfall across Ireland and the UK later in the week.
Other Developments
More than 20 flights were canceled in Puerto Rico due to the storm. The government of the Bahamas has issued a tropical storm watch for the Southeast Bahamas. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Swells from Hurricane Erin are expected to affect the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands in the next couple of days. Heavy rain is expected across the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, and up to 8 inches in some isolated areas.
Erin weakened to a Category 3 hurricane on Sunday, but it is expected to remain powerful for the next several days. The storm isn't expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, but it could bring rip currents all along the Southeast coast.
[1] National Hurricane Center (NHC) - https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ [2] Met Office - https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ [3] Weather Underground - https://www.wunderground.com/
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