Early on Saturday morning (local time), “Ophelia” reached sustained wind speeds of more than 112 kilometers per hour, according to the US hurricane center NHC. The storm was just below the hurricane threshold of 119 kilometers per hour.
The storm will reach the coast of North Carolina in a few hours, it was said. Hurricane conditions are expected there. The NHC warned of storm surges that could lead to “life-threatening” flooding.
In the neighboring state of Virginia, which the hurricane center says the storm is expected to reach later on Saturday, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency. He asked Virginians to monitor weather forecasts and have their emergency equipment ready, Youngkin wrote on Twitter (X).
Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th. Hurricanes often gain strength as they move over the sea. They quickly lose their strength over land because there is no supply of warm, moist air masses. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms.
