Forecasters predict major hurricane strength will hold through the weekend, impacting Leeward Islands to Bermuda.
Hurricane Humberto has undergone rapid intensification, strengthening into a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the U.S. Hurricane Center reported Saturday. The storm is forecast to maintain its formidable strength throughout the weekend, posing a significant maritime threat and generating dangerous coastal conditions across a wide swath of the Atlantic.
As of Saturday, the hurricane was positioned approximately 350 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, packing maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour.
A Category 5 storm is the highest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
While the storm’s current track keeps the powerful core over open ocean, its immense size means its influence will be widely felt.
Swells generated by Humberto are expected to impact parts of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, beginning Saturday night and continuing through next week.
These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in affected coastal areas, and officials are urging residents and visitors to exercise extreme caution near the water.
READ: South Carolina Preps For Imelda: State Of Emergency Issued Ahead Of Potential Hurricane
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