Hurricane warning is issued for the Azores as Gabrielle races toward the island chain

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MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane warning has been issued for the Azores as Hurricane Gabrielle raced Wednesday across open Atlantic waters on track for the volcanic archipelago, forecasters said.

The Category 2 storm is forecast to weaken but still approach the Azores late Thursday as a hurricane, with dangerous conditions likely Thursday night and Friday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Waves generated by Gabrielle will continue to affect Bermuda, the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward and the Atlantic coast of Canada, forecasters said. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are possible.

In the Pacific, Hurricane Narda strengthened Tuesday into a Category 2 storm while continuing to move away from Mexico, forecasters said.

In the Northern Atlantic, Gabrielle was centered about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of the Azores on Wednesday.

The storm could cause significant coastal flooding in the island chain as well as large, destructive waves, forecasters said. From Thursday into Friday, Gabrielle may bring up to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain across the central and western Azores.

The hurricane warning was issued by the Meteorological Service of Portugal, the hurricane center said.

Gabrielle had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph) and was traveling to the east-northeast at 25 mph (40 kph).

Meanwhile, the Pacific hurricane Narda had top sustained winds of about 105 mph (169 kph), according to a hurricane center advisory.

The storm was centered about 550 miles (885 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, and was moving west at 13 mph (21 kph). No coastal watches or warnings were in effect as the hurricane was expected to continue moving further offshore.

Swells generated by Narda could bring rough surf and rip current conditions to some parts of coastal Mexico, forecasters said.