- Title: Azores islands brace as hurricane Lorenzo threatens
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: ANGRA DO HEROÃSMO, TERCEIRA ISLAND, AZORES, PORTUGAL (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WAVES IN HARBOUR AS HURRICANE LORENZO APPROACHES
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 04:32
- Keywords: Sorm Lorenzo hurricane Azores 100 mph winds
- Location: ANGRA DO HEROÃSMO, TERCEIRA ISLAND, AZORES, PORTUGAL
- City: ANGRA DO HEROÃSMO, TERCEIRA ISLAND, AZORES, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZELT1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As winds started to blow, authorities closed numerous streets and roads in Portugal's Azores islands in preparation for Hurricane Lorenzo, which is expected to hit the mid-Atlantic archipelago early on Wednesday (October 2).
The hurricane, packing 100-mph (155-kph) winds, is likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, with only a slow weakening forecast over the next 48 hours, U.S. forecaster the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Despite weakening from a Saturday peak, Lorenzo is a strong Category 2 hurricane that is set to hit the islands as a Category 1, Portugal's meteorological agency IPMA has said. It expects the western island of Flores will be the worst hit.
Schools and non-emergency public services will be closed on Wednesday, the regional government has said, with ports on some islands also shut.
The Miami-based NHC said it expected the eye of Lorenzo to pass near the western Azores, with a hurricane warning in effect for the islands of Flores, Corvo, Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira.
Lorenzo briefly became a Category 5 hurricane at the weekend, the strongest on record this far north and east in the Atlantic, but has since been downgraded.
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