Strong winds and rain - Hurricane reaches the Azores

Hurricane GABRIELLE reached the Azores on Friday morning. The western and central islands were particularly affected.

In Horta on the island of Faial, a weather station recorded gusts of more than 120 kilometres per hour. Portuguese media even reported speeds of more than 150 kilometres per hour.

In addition, heavy rainfall has hit the archipelago. Initial reports indicate damage from fallen trees, blocked roads and destroyed roofs. So far, there have been no casualties.

This is an unusual event for the Azores. GABRIELLE is only the 10th recorded hurricane to hit the archipelago. The last hurricane to graze the islands was GORDON in 2012.

GABRIELLE is now rapidly weakening and moving further eastwards. On Sunday, the former hurricane will hit Portugal and then move on to south-western Spain.

There, coastal areas are threatened by storm gusts, high waves and heavy rainfall extending inland. However, this is not comparable to the effects on the Azores.