Hurricane Florence tracker: Hurricane to reach Bermuda and USA East Coast NEXT WEEK
THE first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season is set to reach Bermuda and the United State's East Coast next week. Here is the latest Hurricane Florence tracker.
Florence formed near the Cabo Verde islands last weekend and became a hurricane on Tuesday.
The storm strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane yesterday afternoon but downgraded again to a Category 3 by the evening.
As the week progresses, Florence will fluctuate in strength due to cool water and winds.
The hurricane will travel over very warm water with low wind shear (a change in direction or speed), at the weekend and into next week.
AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said: "An area of high pressure over the central Atlantic will bridge westward and join with an existing high pressure near the US East
Coast over the next several days.
"This setup will guide Florence on a west to northwesterly course into next week.”
The US may avoid feeling Florence’s impact if the high pressure area weakens next week.
The storm may curve northward and then northeastward out to sea.
But Florence may also travel 3,500 miles over the Atlantic into the US East Coast during Wednesday or Thursday next week.
Areas affected could include the Carolinas and southern New England.
Before reaching the US East Coast though, Florence could curve and head towards Bermuda instead.
Swells will build in the northwest a thousand miles ahead of Florence next week.
This means there will be rough seas along and near the US coast, as well as Bermuda, the northern shores of the Caribbean islands and the south and southeast shores of the Canada
maritimes.
Elsewhere, there will also be rough seas and surf from Virginia to Massachusetts this weekend due to an east to northeasterly flow of cooler air.
However, this is not being linked to Florence.
Mr Kottlowski said: "While it is too early to change plans, all interests in Bermuda and along the East Coast of the U.S. should closely monitor the movement of Florence over this
weekend and next week.”