Josephine shifts into powerful extratropical storm as NHC tracks 2nd Atlantic system

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Oct 22, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Subtropical Storm Josephine became a powerful extratropical storm off the U.S. coast Thursday while the National Hurricane Center kept its eye on another system also in the Atlantic.

As of the 5 p.m. NHC advisory, what is now Post-Tropical Cyclone Josephine was located about 235 miles east-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and 335 miles south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, moving northeast at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

Winds of 40 mph extend out up to 415 miles from the storm’s center.

“Strengthening is forecast through tonight, and Josephine is expected to become a powerful extratropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds tonight or early Friday,” forecasters said.

The system is forecast to continue moving northeast before turning more to the east on Friday and into the weekend, away from land.

“On the forecast track, Josephine should move away from the United States and remain south of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the next couple of days,” forecasters said.

Gale-force winds remain possible along portions of the northeast U.S. coast through Thursday evening while minor coastal flooding continues along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast.

Large swells generated by the storm also continue to hit much of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Canada, which have life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions.

Forecasters also are tracking a second system, a trough of low pressure, which as of the NHC’s 8 p.m. tropical outlook was located several hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda in the subtropical central Atlantic, producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Some slight development of this system is possible through Friday while it moves slowly north-northeastward,” forecasters said. “Upper-level winds are forecast to become too strong for further development by the weekend.”

The NHC gave it a 10% chance to develop in the next two to seven days.

So far, the 2026 hurricane season has produced nine named storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias and Josephine.

The next name on the list is Kyle.

Only Isaias has reached hurricane strength during what has been a very slow Atlantic season amid effects from a strong global El Niño weather pattern. Isaias made landfall on Oct. 9 near Destin on Florida’s Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane.

Hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, but the height of hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in August had updated its seasonal forecast to expect between seven and 13 named storms this year. Of those, two to six would become hurricanes.

An average year would see 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three of those growing to Category 3 strength or higher.

_____