Hurricane Sam Is “Potential Threat To Bermuda”
Hurricane Sam is a “potential threat to Bermuda”, the Bermuda Weather Service said in their latest update, with its closest point of approach to Bermuda within 72 hours forecast to be 350 nm to the SE at 12.00pm on Friday [Oct 1], with the BWS noting that “this system may move closer to Bermuda after this time period depending upon its track.”
Graphic courtesy of the BWS:
The latest forecast from the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, “At 1100 AM AST [1500 UTC], the eye of Hurricane Sam was located near latitude 17.5 North, longitude 54.3 West. Sam is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph [13 km/h] and this motion with an increase in forward is expected during the next couple of days. A turn toward the north is forecast to occur by Friday. On the forecast track, Sam will pass well to the east of the northern Leeward Islands through Wednesday.
“Maximum sustained winds remain near 130 mph [215 km/h] with higher gusts. Sam is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are expected during the next couple of days, but Sam is forecast to remain a major hurricane through late this week.
“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles [65 km] from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles [220 km]. The estimated minimum central pressure is 952 mb [28.12 inches].”
Graphic courtesy of the NHC:
