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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4667902/hurricane-ophelia-path-storm-hit-britain-uk-weather-latest/

Will Hurricane Ophelia hit Britain?


Hurricane Ophelia is predicted to hit Britain early next week.

The storm was upgraded to a category one hurricane on the night of Wednesday October 11 – making it the tenth hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season.

It was then upgraded again to a category two storm on the following night as it continued to strengthen.

It is currently just over 600 miles south-west of the Portuguese Azore islands, whipping up 105mph winds as it trundles eastwards, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

The storm is moving along at a speed of seven miles an hour but it is forecast to significantly pick up pace.

But Ophelia will not be at hurricane status by the time it reaches the UK, as our waters are not warm enough to sustain it at that strength.

It is expected to weaken somewhat Friday night but remain a hurricane for the next couple of days.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkhill said on Thursday: "Ophelia became a hurricane overnight and the forecast track takes it eastwards towards Iberia for the weekend.

"After that, indications are that by that point it will then have weakened and be no longer a hurricane or tropical storm – it will be extratropical.

"But then it will continue its way towards the British Isles, probably reaching us very early next week."

Ophelia’s arrival will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987, which hit southern England overnight on October 15.( Read more... )