Hurricane Nigel expected to ‘rapidly intensify’ and become major storm by Tuesday: Latest tracker

Hurricane Nigel is forecast to ‘rapidly intensify’ to become a Category 3 hurricane

Hurricane Nigel to rapidly intensify

Hurricane Nigel has strengthened slightly overnight and is set to intensify further, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Nigel, the sixth hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean this season, developed into a Category 1 storm yesterday and was forecast to “rapidly intensify” to become a Category 3 hurricane.

At the moment, Nigel has sustained winds of 80mph (130kph) but forecasters in the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Hurricane Center expect the storm to have sustained winds of at least 111mph as it grows.

Nigel was located approximately about 875miles (1,410km) east-southeast of Bermuda and was moving northwest at a speed of 12mph (19kph).

The hurricane is not expected to make landfall and no warnings or watches have been issued.

As of now, the National Hurricane Center predicts Nigel will veer off right into the open Atlantic Ocean by Wednesday morning.

Nigel developed shortly after Hurricane Lee landed in Nova Scotia as a post-tropical storm.

Key Points

• National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Nigel to ‘rapidly intensify’
• Hurricane Nigel’s expected path
• Spaghetti models of Hurricane Nigel
• Why are so many hurricanes ‘rapidly intensifying’ ?

[19 September 2023 07:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Hurricane Nigel strengthens slightly

Tropical Storm Nigel, a Category 1 storm has strengthened slightly in the last few hours, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.

The storm is still packing maximum sustained winds of 85mph but it was expected to strengthen further on Tuesday before it starts to weaken on Wednesday.

[19 September 2023 08:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Watch: Nigel to strengthen into Atlantic's next major hurricane

[19 September 2023 09:00 · Ariana Baio]

How do extreme weather fronts get named?

The custom of naming weather fronts originated in the 1900s in tandem with the earliest days of radio enabling ship-to-shore telecommunication for the first time.

Originally only given female names in accordance with nautical tradition, the idea of personifying extreme weather events was to ensure they could be clearly distinguished from one another through a system that was easier to remember than serial numbering.

Meteorologists, coast guards and ships’ captains could relay information clearly without fear of misunderstanding.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

[19 September 2023 09:30 · Stuti Mishra]

Satellite footage shows Hurricane Nigel 'dancing about' in the open Atlantic

Hurricane #Nigel dancing about in the open Atlantic today. No threat to land. pic.twitter.com/5SyqTJZtQF

— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) September 18, 2023

[19 September 2023 10:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Spaghetti models show Hurricane Nigel veering right

[19 September 2023 10:30 · Stuti Mishra]

Hurricane Nigel tracker: What is the projected path of the storm?

The rapidly intensifying storm Nigel in the Atlantic has developed into a hurricane and could intensify further, according to the National Hurricane Center.

On Monday night, Hurricane Nigel was a Category 1 storm with sustained wind speeds of 85mph.

NHC said Nigel is a fast-spaced storm that is expected to rapidly intensify to a Category 3 major hurricane by Tuesday – this means it will have sustained winds of at least 111mph.

Here’s our Hurricane Nigel tracker:

[19 September 2023 13:00 · Ariana Baio]

Hurricane Nigel intensification ‘disrupted’

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Hurricane Nigel’s intensification has been seemingly disrupted, possibly by dry air.

“Despite seemingly conducive environmental conditions for strengthening, Nigel’s intensification appears to have been disrupted, possibly by dry air entrainment related to some mid-level shear,” the NHC wrote in an update on Monday afternoon.

The NHC has indicated Nigel’s “peak” to major hurricane status may still arrive within 36 to 48 hours – slightly lower than previous estimates of 24 – 36 hours.

[19 September 2023 14:00 · Stuti Mishra]

How Americans are experiencing the climate crisis across the US

From hurricanes and deadly heatwaves to droughts and floods, the climate crisis is unfolding in myriad expected - and unexpected - ways for regular Americans.

Louise Boyle reports: