Hurricane Imelda weakens after lashing Bermuda with heavy rain and powerful winds
Hurricane Imelda, which had strengthened into a Category 2 storm, brought heavy rain and powerful winds to Bermuda, but has since weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. According to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, the storm’s center was located about 170 miles east-northeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, as of 5 a.m. ET on Thursday. Imelda was moving east-northeast at 30 mph, and its core was forecast to move further away from Bermuda over the course of Thursday morning.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that hurricane-force winds were recorded on Bermuda, but there were no immediate reports of damage from the gusts or heavy rainfall that had been expected to bring possible flash flooding and damaging waves. A hurricane warning in Bermuda was dropped early Thursday, but a tropical storm warning remained in effect for the islands, which sit about 600 miles east of the U.S. East Coast.
Hurricane Imelda forecast and expected impact
Imelda is expected to weaken further to an extratropical low-pressure cyclone sometime later on Thursday. Swells generated by Imelda and Hurricane Humberto, farther out in the Atlantic, were also spreading to much of the U.S. East Coast, causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. The NHC warned that these swells are likely to cause dangerous conditions, and residents are advised to exercise caution.
Imelda comes on the heels of Hurricane Humberto, which rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Atlantic on Saturday but is not expected to reach land. Humberto reached as high as a Category 5 on Saturday before beginning to weaken. On Wednesday morning, the sustained winds for Humberto’s remnants fell to 70 mph, below the 74 mph threshold for a Category 1 hurricane.
Understanding the Fujiwhara effect
Forecasters said last week that there was a small possibility the two systems could interact, creating what is known as a Fujiwhara effect, a rare phenomenon in which two different storms merge and become entangled around a newly formed, common center. However, CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said that this was not considered a likely outcome in this case, although it wasn’t impossible, and the two storms already affected each other because of their close proximity at one point over the Atlantic.
Imelda is the ninth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which formed on Sunday in the western Atlantic and strengthened into a hurricane early Tuesday. For the latest updates and forecast maps, residents are advised to check the National Hurricane Center’s website or other reliable sources.
The storm’s impact on Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared for natural disasters. Residents are advised to stay informed, follow evacuation orders, and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
For more information on Hurricane Imelda and its forecast path, visit Here
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