MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- Hurricane Gonzalo, a major Category 4 storm, regained some strength Thursday as it curved more to the north. Mid-afternoon statistics placed the storm about 450 miles south-southwest of the island of Bermuda, while moving north at 7 mph. Peak winds are 145 mph.
The forecast path and its associated cone of possible movement places Bermuda within reach of a direct strike from Gonzalo. The hurricane may weaken slightly as it approaches the island, but may maintain its current major hurricane status. This would be the strongest hurricane to impact Bermuda since Hurricane Fabian in 2003.
From there, Gonzalo will transition out of tropical phase and lose its strength gradually over the colder North Atlantic waters by the weekend.
Elsewhere, no other disturbances have near-term potential to develop. Nonetheless, next week, a wave of moisture in the southwestern Gulf may provide unsettled weather for the offshore waters and perhaps the Florida peninsula, but it is still too soon to determine what organization, if any, will occur with the system.
