Hurricane Earl will reach category 3 in the Atlantic

Hurricane Earl, which is in the Atlantic south of Bermuda, will intensify this Wednesday and become the first major hurricane this season, The National Hurricane Center reported of the United States (NHC), based in Miami.

Earl is moving north at 8 miles per hour, and is expected to pass over southeastern Bermuda on Thursday, where winds will begin to pick up to tropical storm force beginning Thursday and the scourge will last through Friday, indicated the NHC in its last part. Bermuda is under a tropical storm warning.

Earl is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour and some stronger gusts, but forecasters predict it will become a powerful Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 129 miles per hour, or even in a category 4, with winds of about 132 miles per hour and gusts of 160 mph on Saturday, according to the NHC.

Earl’s hurricane-force winds extend for about 40 miles, and up to 125 miles are felt at tropical storm force.

Dangerous swells are expected to begin to beat from tonight on the coast of the archipelago of about 20 square miles in area and about 63,000 inhabitants. The swells will continue through Friday, according to the NHC.

Earl is the second Atlantic hurricane of the season.

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