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Hurricane Epsilon Passes East of Bermuda

Thursday October 22, 2020 11:27 PM EDT

Hurricane Epsilon passed east of Bermuda on Thursday night. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Epsilon was located at latitude 32.6°N and longitude 61.6°W which put it about 300 miles (485 km) east of Bermuda. Epsilon was moving toward the north-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 968 mb. The government of Bermuda discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning.

Hurricane Epsilon weakened as it passed east of Bermuda on Thursday night. The eye was no longer apparent on satellite images. Breaks developed in the ring of thunderstorms around the eye. Bands of showers and thunderstorms continued to revolve around the core of Hurricane Epsilon. Storms near the core still generated upper level divergence which pumped mass away to the east of Epsilon. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 240 miles (390 km) from the center.

Hurricane Epsilon will move through an environment that could allow it to maintain its intensity for another 24 to 36 hours.  Epsilon will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 26°C.  It will be in an area where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Upper level westerly winds in the middle latitude will create more vertical wind shear on Saturday. The wind shear will cause Epsilon to start to weaken and it will begin a transition to an extratropical cyclone.

Hurricane Epsilon will move around the southwestern part of ridge of high pressure over the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will steer Epsilon toward the north during the next 24 hours.  Epsilon will move more toward the northeast during the weekend when it reaches the westerly winds in the middle latitudes. On its anticipated track Hurricane Epsilon will pass southeast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the weekend.