After looking like it might fizzle out just days ago, Gabrielle has recharged in the Atlantic and is now surging into a powerful hurricane.
While it isn’t expected to hit the United States directly, experts say its impact will still be felt along the East Coast in the coming days.
From Weak to Worrisome
According to the National Hurricane Center, Gabrielle officially strengthened into a hurricane on Sunday afternoon.
Just 48 hours earlier, the storm nearly collapsed in the middle of the ocean.
But instead of fading, it has rapidly regained strength and is now on track to intensify into a Category 3 hurricane by Tuesday.
Coastline Under Alert
Even though Gabrielle is steering away from land, forecasters warn that its effects could stretch across 2,000 miles of America’s eastern shoreline—from Maine down to Florida.
AccuWeather experts are raising alarms over rough surf and rip currents, which can become life-threatening for beachgoers as early as Tuesday morning.
Rip currents, sometimes called undertows, are powerful streams of water that pull swimmers away from the beach.
They often form when waves crash onshore and then retreat back into the sea.
Winds Picking Up Speed
At the moment, Gabrielle’s winds are clocking in at 90 mph.
Meteorologists believe those winds could surge past 110 mph by early Tuesday, making it a dangerous storm over open waters.
Thankfully, the hurricane is tracking away from the United States, sparing coastal communities from a direct landfall.
Why Gabrielle Shifted Away
One of the main reasons Gabrielle isn’t heading for the US is the Bermuda High, a semi-permanent high-pressure system that usually acts like a traffic cop for Atlantic storms.
A weaker Bermuda High this time allowed steering winds to push Gabrielle northward and toward Europe instead of the Carolinas or Virginia, which early models feared could be in its path.
Conditions Ripe for Growth
The storm is now entering an area of the Atlantic with favorable conditions for rapid intensification.
With little wind shear to disrupt it and plenty of moisture to fuel it, Gabrielle could grow much stronger within the next 24 hours.
In its latest update, the National Hurricane Center confirmed that the storm’s swells will affect Bermuda first and then spread toward the US East Coast, especially from North Carolina northward.
A Surprisingly Quiet Season So Far
Gabrielle is only the seventh named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season—a season that has been unusually calm with less than three months to go.
So far, the only storm to make US landfall was Tropical Storm Chantal, while Hurricane Erin reached a massive Category 5 before fizzling out.
More Storms on the Horizon
Forecasters caution that Gabrielle isn’t the only system to watch.
A weak tropical wave heading toward the eastern Caribbean could strengthen later this week, especially once it moves into the warmer waters of the western Caribbean.
Another disturbance forming off Florida has a 40% chance of developing into a cyclone by the weekend.
Meanwhile, a separate system tracking Gabrielle’s same path already has a 70% chance of becoming the next named storm in the Atlantic.
Experts Sound the Alarm
Meteorologists remind us just how quickly storms can escalate.
Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, has pointed out that every Category 5 hurricane ever to strike the US started as a much weaker storm just three days earlier.
That’s why they’re urging caution as multiple systems brew.
A Hot Ocean, a Hotter Season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had already predicted an “above-average” hurricane season this year, warning that as many as five major hurricanes could develop.
The reason? Record-breaking sea surface temperatures.
Parts of the Caribbean and Gulf are currently sitting at 80 to nearly 90 degrees, creating perfect fuel for storms.
With hurricane season running through November 30—and its peak usually falling between mid-September and mid-October—experts say the next few weeks could be very active.
What Comes Next
For now, Gabrielle is strengthening far out in the Atlantic, but its waves and currents will still reach American beaches.
Meanwhile, other storm systems are lining up behind it, hinting that the quiet part of the season may be over.
The big question now: Will one of these developing storms be the one that finally makes a direct impact on the US this season?