Gordon Is Now A Hurricane

Hurricane Gordon formed over the open Atlantic Tuesday, as a new tropical depression formed off the coast of Africa.

Also Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Florence sped toward its demise into the cooler waters off Canada's maritime provinces after battering Bermuda.

Forecasters believe Gordon, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, is destined to remain over open waters and will not threaten land. Its winds – about 65 mph early Tuesday, tropical storm force - strengthened late in the day to become the third Atlantic hurricane of the season.

At 11 p.m. EDT, Gordon was centered about 565 miles north-northeast of the Leeward Islands, moving north at about 9 miles per hour.

"At this point it looks like it will re-curve out into the Atlantic," said Jamie Rhome, a hurricane specialist. "However, people should be reminded that we are at the peak of hurricane season and they should be updated on hurricane supplies and have a hurricane plan."

The National Hurricane Center stopped issuing advisories about Florence, which was expected to pass just southeast of Newfoundland in the next day or so. The season's second hurricane blew out windows, peeled off roofs and knocked out power to thousands in Bermuda on Monday as it sideswiped the British island chain before heading out into the Atlantic.

The eighth tropical depression of the season had top sustained winds at 35 miles per hour and could become a tropical storm at some point on Wednesday. Helene is the next name on the list; sustained winds in a tropical storm are at least 39 miles per hour.

The tropical depression was centered 215 miles south-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde islands, moving west near 15 mph, according to the hurricane center.

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The National Hurricane Center's latest forecast for the season predicts between seven and nine hurricanes.