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STORM OPHELIA
Hurricane Ophelia (later known as Storm Ophelia in Ireland and the United Kingdom) was the easternmost Atlantic major hurricane on record, and was the worst extratropical cyclone to impact Ireland and the United Kingdom since the Great Storm of 1987.
The seventeenth tropical cyclone, fifteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and the sixth major hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia had non-tropical origins, developing on 9 October out of a decaying cold front that had stalled over the North Atlantic in early October.
Located within a favourable environment for strengthening, the storm steadily intensified over the next two days while drifting north and then southeastwards before becoming a hurricane on 11 October.
After becoming a Category 2 hurricane and fluctuating in intensity for a day, Ophelia unexpectedly rapidly intensified into a major hurricane on 14 October, while south of the Azores. Shortly after achieving peak intensity, Ophelia began to quickly weaken as it accelerated northeastward towards Ireland and Great Britain, becoming extratropical early on 16 October, thus becoming the second storm of the 2017–18 UK and Ireland windstorm season. Currently affecting islands off the coast of Norway with winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour (28 mph), it is expected to dissipate while making landfall in western Norway during October 17 afternoon.
The seventeenth tropical cyclone, fifteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and the sixth major hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia had non-tropical origins, developing on 9 October out of a decaying cold front that had stalled over the North Atlantic in early October.
Located within a favourable environment for strengthening, the storm steadily intensified over the next two days while drifting north and then southeastwards before becoming a hurricane on 11 October.
After becoming a Category 2 hurricane and fluctuating in intensity for a day, Ophelia unexpectedly rapidly intensified into a major hurricane on 14 October, while south of the Azores. Shortly after achieving peak intensity, Ophelia began to quickly weaken as it accelerated northeastward towards Ireland and Great Britain, becoming extratropical early on 16 October, thus becoming the second storm of the 2017–18 UK and Ireland windstorm season. Currently affecting islands off the coast of Norway with winds of up to 45 kilometres per hour (28 mph), it is expected to dissipate while making landfall in western Norway during October 17 afternoon.