Hurricane Gonzalo increases in strength, strongest storm in Atlantic basin in three years

Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 3:59 PM -

On Wednesday afternoon, meteorologists upgraded Hurricane Gonzalo to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 205 km/h and gusts up to 250 kilometres per hour.

It is moving past Bermuda and is expected to hit the area Friday.

EXPERT: Gonzalo beats path for Newfoundland

A hurricane watch has been issued across the archipelago. Local media reports suggest that all flights departing Bermuda on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are fully booked. 

Swells are expected to reach much of the east coast of the United States and Bermuda on Thursday.

"These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the National Hurricane Center warns.

Weather Network meteorologist Dayna Vettese says Gonzalo is the strongest storm seen in the Atlantic basin since Ophelia in 2011.

That storm's track was similar to Gonzalo's, and it brought heavy rain to Newfoundland.

HOW WILL GONZALO IMPACT CANADA?

Models remain in disagreement about how Gonzalo will impact Newfoundland, but confidence is growing that it is likely to hit the province this weekend -- although the centre of the storm may be slightly offshore.

"It is too early to go into detail about which geographical regions will be affected," Environment Canada says in a Wednesday afternoon statement.

"Eastern Nova Scotia is not out of the picture -- heavy rain from the storm is possible there if the centre tracks trough central Newfoundland or west."

A cold front extending into the subtropics  is expected to guide the hurricane northward near Bermuda, which may draw moisture over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Friday.

Environment Canada isn't releasing predictions on wind speeds or rainfall amounts just yet.

"We are still talking about a fair bit of uncertainty at this stage," the weather agency says, adding that they will have a better idea of the forecast Thursday.

Weather Network meteorologist Brad Rousseau says the storm is moving fast, raising the potential for rainfall amounts of 30-60 mm of rain and gusts of 100-160 kilometres per hour.

"That would make gusts into the low end Category 2 range when they hit Canada," he adds.

Storm surge and waves are another area of concern, especially if the centre of the storm tracks over land.

Be sure to check back often as we will continue to update this developing story on a frequent basis.

TUNE IN: Tune in to The Weather Network on TV for live updates on the approaching storm. Our team of reporters and meteorologists in the field provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date coverage.