Cat. 2 Earl passing east of Outer Banks

ORLANDO -- 

Hurricane Earl passed less than 400 miles to the east Thursday, sending waves up to 12 feet along Central Florida's Atlantic coast.

Hurricane Earl: Latest advisory

The center of Earl is now east-southeast of Cape Hatteras and tropical storm conditions affecting the Outer Banks.

In Central Florida, the biggest concern continues to be the increase in the seas and surf conditions as Earl passes to our east, with strong rip currents.

Watches and warnings

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

• Bogue Inlet, N.C., northeastward to the North Carolina-Virginia border, including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.
• Westport, Mass., eastward around Cape Cod to Hull invcluding Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

• North of the North Carolina-Virginia border to Cape Henlopen, Del.
• Westport Mass., eastward around Cape Cod to Hull including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

• Surf City, N.C. to west of Bogue Inlet, N.C.
• north of the North Carolina/Virginia border to Sandy Hook, N.J., including Delaware Bay south of Slaughter Beach and the Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort
• the coast of Long Island, N.Y. from Fire Island Inlet eastward on the South Shore and Port Jefferson Harbor eastward on the north shore
• New Haven, Conn. to west of Westport, Mass., including Block Island
• north of Hull, Mass. to the Merrimack River
• Stonington, Maine eastward to Eastport, Maine

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

• north of the Merrimack River to west of Stonington, Maine
• the coast of Long Island west of Fire Island Inlet on the south shore and west of Port Jefferson Harbor on the north shore
• New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border eastward to Fort Lawrence and from Tidnish westward to Shediac
• Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence southwestward to Digby, Medway Harbour northeastward to Point Tupper and Aulds Cove westward to Tidnish
• Prince Edward Island

Discussion and 48-hour outlook

At 2 a.m., the center of Hurricane Earl was located near latitude 34.6 north, longitude 74.3 west.

Earl is moving toward the north-northeast near 18 mph. An increase in forward speed and a turn toward the northeast are expected in the next 24 to 36 hours.  On the forecast track, the center of Earl will pass near the North Carolina Outer Banks during the next few hours and will approach southeastern New England Friday night.
 
Data from the Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. Earl is a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Slow weakening is forecast during the next 24 to 36 hours, but Earl is expected remain a large hurricane as it passes near the Outer Banks and approaches southeastern New England.
 
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. The National Ocean Service Station at Hatteras, N.C. recently reported six-minute mean winds of 56 mph and a wind gust of 66 mph.
 
The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft was 955 mb.

Hazards affecting land

Winds: Tropical-storm-force winds are occurring along the North Carolina coast within the warning area, and hurricane conditions are expected in the Outer Banks during the next few hours. Tropical-storm-force winds will likely reach the coast from Virginia northward to Massachusetts on Friday and spread over the coast of Maine within the warning area Friday night.  Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area in Massachusetts Friday night.

Storm surge:  A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above ground level within the hurricane warning area over North Carolina, as well as in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above ground level within the hurricane warning area over Massachusetts. Elsewhere within the tropical storm warning area, storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Rainfall: Earl is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches, over portions of eastern North Carolina including the Outer Banks. Accumulations of 1 to 3 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches, are possible over southeast New England.  Accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible from extreme southeastern Virginia northward along the immediate mid-Atlantic coast as well as over Downeast Maine.

Surf: Large swells from earl will continue to affect the east coast of the United States through Friday and begin to subside in the northern Bahamas overnight. These swells will likely cause dangerous surf conditions and rip currents.

Next advisories

• Complete advisory: 5 a.m.

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Tropical Storm Fiona: Latest advisory

Fiona is moving northward at a slower forward speed.

Watches and warnings

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

• Bermuda

Discussion and 48-hour outlook

At 2 a.m., the center of Tropical Storm Fiona was located near latitude 27.5 north, longitude 66.8 west.

Fiona is moving toward the north near 13 mph. This motion is forecast to continue this morning, with a turn toward the north-northeast expected by this afternoon or evening.  On the forecast track, the center of Fiona is expected to pass near Bermuda later this evening or early Saturday.
 
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple of days.
 
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles, mainly to the east of the center.
 
Estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb. 

Hazards affecting land

Wind: Tropical-storm-force winds are expected to reach Bermuda by late this evening or early Saturday morning.

Rainfall: Storm total rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible on Bermuda.

Next advisories

• Complete advisory: 5 a.m.

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Gaston: Latest advisory

Gaston becomes a remnant low over the east-central tropical Atlantic.

Watches and warnings

None

Discussion and 48-hour outlook

At 5 p.m., the remnant low of Gaston was located near latitude 13.5 north, longitude 39.5 west.

The low is moving toward the west near 5 mph, and a continued westward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected during the next 48 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph with higher gusts.  Little change in strength is likely during the next couple of days.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 mb. 

Next advisory

• This is the last public advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center on Gaston, unless regeneration occurs.