Hurricane Gabrielle Targets Azores As Tropical Storm Humberto Swirls In Atlantic

Meteorologists are sounding urgent alarms as Tropical Storm Humberto strengthens in the Atlantic while Hurricane Gabrielle barrels towards the Azores.

Experts warn the pair could make this year's Atlantic hurricane season one of the most destructive in modern history, fuelled by warming oceans and climate change. Communities across the Caribbean and coastal Europe are bracing for a potential record-breaking storm season.

According to The News International, Tropical Storm Humberto formed this week in the Atlantic Ocean, while Hurricane Gabrielle intensified as it tracked towards the Azores Islands.

The dual systems mark the height of what forecasters are calling an unusually active and dangerous hurricane season.

Humberto and Gabrielle Gain Strength

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) confirmed Humberto's formation midweek, cautioning that the storm will likely intensify as it moves across abnormally warm Atlantic waters. Although Humberto's precise track remains uncertain, forecasters warn of heavy rainfall, damaging winds and hazardous seas along parts of the Caribbean and Atlantic coastlines in the coming days.

At the same time, Hurricane Gabrielle is surging towards the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago of around 250,000 residents. The NHC said Gabrielle could bring 'life-threatening surf and rip currents' as it approaches the islands.

A Record-Breaking Season

Meteorologists have noted that the 2025 hurricane season has already been one of the busiest on record.

Warm sea surface temperatures, partly fuelled by climate change, are providing 'ideal breeding grounds' for stronger and longer-lasting storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

As Gabrielle bears down on the Azores and Humberto strengthens in the Atlantic, forecasters say the coming weeks will be critical.

A National Hurricane Centre (NHC) spokesperson told NBC News that while the storms are powerful, modern forecasting and early warning systems give communities valuable time to prepare.

If Humberto intensifies into a major hurricane, it would join a growing list of powerful storms that experts warn may become the 'new normal.'

Human Toll and Community Warnings

For communities across the Atlantic basin, from the Caribbean to coastal Europe, the threat is deeply personal.

Authorities in the Azores have urged families to secure property, stockpile supplies and prepare for possible evacuation. Residents, accustomed to previous destructive storms, are bracing for impact as Gabrielle advances.

Climate scientists warn that people in vulnerable regions are often left with few options. 'We have better forecasting tools now, but the scale of these storms often leaves communities powerless,' said a researcher from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Climate Crisis Driving Storm Intensity

Rising global temperatures are heating oceans, providing the fuel for longer-lasting and more violent cyclones. Scientists emphasise the connection between the climate crisis and the increasing frequency of catastrophic storms.

As Gabrielle bears down on the Azores and Humberto strengthens in the Atlantic, forecasters say the coming weeks will be critical.

'The storms are a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are to forces beyond our control,' a NOAA forecaster told NBC News.

For millions living in the hurricane belt, the question is no longer whether this season will set records—but how much more devastation communities will be forced to endure.