THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 14, 1996 TAG: 9609140211
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 52 lines
Like a roller coaster reaching its peak and then plunging downhill, Hurricane Hortense surged in strength overnight only to quickly begin weakening Friday.
Even after having lost strength, however, it remained a formidable storm Friday as it passed west of Bermuda. It should be due east of Virginia Beach early today - about 400 miles offshore.
That's a good thing, said John Hope, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel in Atlanta.
``It's still a powerful storm,'' Hope said Friday as Hortense's top sustained winds were being clocked at 105 mph, with gusts to 125 mph. ``All indications are that it is going to move up toward the north and then more northeast and well away from the coast - even from New England.''
The jet stream and a strong cold front - which will bring fall-like weather to the area this weekend - were working to keep Hortense off shore.
Still, the National Hurricane Center expects Hortense to stir up some large swells that should be reaching the mid-Atlantic beaches over the next day or two.
Otherwise, ``Don't worry about this hurricane,'' Hope said.
At 5 p.m., the storm was about 300 miles west of Bermuda, moving north-northeast near 23 mph. An increase in forward speed is expected today.
With maximum sustained winds down to 105 mph already, additional weakening was expected overnight as the storm moves over cooler waters.
At 11 p.m. Thursday, its winds had peaked at 140 mph with gusts near 170 mph. But the storm was moving into waters already crossed and cooled by hurricanes Edouard and Fran. Plus, Hortense will be moving out of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream as its surges north.
It is expected to lose its tropical elements in a day or two as it speeds into the North Atlantic.
``It should diminish rather fast,'' Hope said.
Once Hortense is gone, the tropical breeding grounds of the Atlantic will suddenly be silent.
``We're not really seeing anything in the Atlantic or in the Caribbean that is really a threat once we get rid of Hortense,'' Hope said.
Locally, it will be blustery today as Hortense spins past Virginia. And then it's going to get cool.
Hampton Roads will have its first taste of fall today as the high will be in the mid to upper 70s under partly sunny skies, with an overnight low in the lower 60s.
Sunday should be partly sunny and breezy, with a high in the mid 70s and an overnight low in the 50s.
And Monday could be as cool or cooler with a high in the 70s, a low in the mid 40s to the mid 50s and partly cloudy skies. by CNB