Hurricane Kirk has reached Category 4 status, with maximum wind speeds of 233 km/h, and is moving northeast toward Europe, leaving warm waters behind. In the coming days, the hurricane will undergo a process known as extratropical transition, meaning it will lose its hurricane status when it reaches European shores on Tuesday or Wednesday, being downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern Germany are expected to experience the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall. If the system shifts slightly north, the southernmost parts of the United Kingdom (UK) could also see heavy rainfall.
Leslie and Milton
Hurricane Leslie is also being closely monitored. This hurricane, in the central Atlantic, was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds reaching 145 km/h by Sunday night. Leslie is not expected to last long, as it is forecasted to weaken to a tropical storm by Tuesday morning. It is not predicted to make landfall.
In the Gulf of Mexico, a tropical disturbance named Milton has recently been upgraded to a tropical storm, becoming the 13th tropical storm of the Atlantic season. Milton is expected to quickly strengthen into a powerful hurricane as it moves toward Florida in the coming days.
Although there is still uncertainty about the exact path and strength of the system, there is a possibility of strong winds, heavy rains, and dangerous storm surges along parts of Florida’s western coast. This situation comes just a week after Hurricane Helene caused significant loss of life and damage in severalparts of the United States (U.S.)
