Gaston , which intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane on August 28, 2016, and weakened to a Category 2 the following day, is strengthening again in the Atlantic. Fortunately, and at least for now, it doesn't have the same strength it had on the 28th, but it remains a weather phenomenon that has many people on edge. Why? Because it is approaching the Azores.
The National Hurricane Center (CNH) of the United States reported that it is located 750 miles (1207km) east of Bermuda and 1445 miles (2325km) west of the Azores.
You can see where Hurricane Gaston is expected to be (circled black) on September 3.
Hurricane Gaston is moving at 16 km/h, and hurricane-force winds of up to 185 km/h with gusts exceeding 220 km/h have already been recorded. It is the most powerful hurricane of the Atlantic season, so there is a lot of concern about what might happen. But… do we really need to worry? What do the models say?
The truth is, there's no reason to worry , at least for now. It's expected to head towards the British Isles, and even so, the sea temperature the hurricane will encounter as it approaches Europe is lower than in the tropics. This, combined with the fact that upper-level winds are expected to weaken it, means that if it does reach our country, it will most likely appear as a low-pressure system off the coast of Galicia towards the weekend.
Image - NOAA
Can a hurricane reach Spain?
According to statistics, the probability of that happening is very low . Moreover, last year with Hurricane Joaquin, a similar situation occurred, but in the end, it only brought rain to Galicia. To find one that made landfall, we have to go back to 2005, when Vince reached Category 1.
So for now we can be calm. But we will have to wait and see what course Hurricane Gastón takes in the end. We will continue to inform.