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Nigel, which had been a tropical depression, moved up to tropical storm status on Sunday morning, Sept. 17.
On Monday night, Sept. 18, it became a Category 1 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 85 miles per hour, an increase of 35 mph in less than 24 hours.
Nigel is now located about 850 miles east-southeast of Bermuda.
It's expected to quickly become a hurricane of Category 2 status or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale as soon as sometime during the day on Tuesday, Sept. 19. That would mean its sustained wind speeds would increase to 96 mph.
On the forecast track, Nigel is expected to stay over open water and move northwest and then north.
Meanwhile, there are two other zones with the possibility of strengthening.
One is located on the southeast coast of the United States.
"This system could acquire some subtropical characteristics this weekend while it moves generally northward," the National Hurricane Center said. "Regardless of subtropical development, this low could bring gusty winds, heavy rain, and high surf conditions to portions of the coastal Carolinas into the coastal Mid-Atlantic states this weekend."
The other zone is along the coast of Africa, which the National Hurricane Center says is likely to become a tropical depression late this week or weekend while it moves westward.
See all three systems now in the Atlantic in the image above from the National Hurricane Center.
Nigel is the 14th named storm of the 2023 season, five of which became hurricanes.
In early August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration increased its prediction for named storms this year from 12 to 17 to 14 to 21.
The next names for storms are Ophelia and Philippe.
The Atlantic hurricane season began on Thursday, June 1, and runs until Thursday, Nov. 30.
View the 2023 list of Atlantic storm names here.
For more on Nigel, check this page from the National Hurricane Center.
Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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