Hurricane Nigel expected develop a large eye; non-tropical low may form off Florida

A fast-moving Hurricane Nigel is forecast to intensify into a Category 2 storm Tuesday as it develops a large eye over the central subtropical Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said.

Nigel’s top wind speeds could reach up to 105 mph, according to the latest advisory.

As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nigel’s maximum sustained winds were at 85 mph. Nigel was about 1,110 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moving northwest at 13 mph.

In addition to Nigel, forecasters say a non-tropical low may form off Florida this week along with a potential tropical depression off Africa.

The tropical wave forecast to emerge off the west coast of Africa by Wednesday is likely to become a tropical depression late this week or weekend. As of 2 a.m. Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center gave it a 70% chance of developing in the next seven days while it moves west across the eastern Atlantic.

Forecasters also are monitoring a non-tropical area of low pressure that is forecast to form east of Florida late this week.

This system is forecast to move north and “could acquire some subtropical characteristics this weekend if it remains offshore,” according to the latest advisory. It has a 30% chance to develop in the next seven days.

“Regardless of subtropical development, this low could bring gusty winds, heavy rain, and high surf conditions to portions of the coastal Carolinas into the coastal Mid-Atlantic states this weekend,” according to the latest advisory.

Nigel, meanwhile, is expected to be a fast-moving storm, generally headed north in the central tropical Atlantic through Tuesday before turning to the northeast, on a trajectory that sends it to the seas between Ireland and Iceland.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from Nigel’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

Nigel currently poses no threat to land and could begin gradually weakening Thursday and be a post-tropical cyclone by Friday, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center, which operates under the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, has forecast 14 to 21 named storms for the 2023 Atlantic season and six to 11 hurricanes, two to five of which would be major hurricanes.

So far this season in the Atlantic, there have been 15 named storms, five hurricanes — three of which were major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 or above. Those were Hurricane Lee, a rare Category 5; Hurricane Franklin, a Category 4; and Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall on Florida’s Big Bend region at Category 3 strength on Aug. 30.

The next named storm would be Ophelia.

Hurricane season officially runs through Nov. 30.