Hurricane Ophelia currently
The hurricane Ophelia arrives in Ireland today. The country is on red alert, where the strong winds from the hurricane are already being noticed. The main focus that is expected to arrive in the immediate next few hours, will go through the entire west coast. The gusts of wind will reach England, and it is expected that from tonight it will begin to deteriorate, after crossing the entire country from south to north. Ireland will have its worst storm since 1961.
The big question on everyone's mind is how a hurricane of this size could reach Europe. In fact, Ophelia just set the record as the first major hurricane to form and record at a longitude this far east. This phenomenon has never been recorded before.
Is Ophelia the first hurricane to hit Europe?
Forecast for in 6-7 hours
Ophelia has not been the only hurricane to hit Europe. The question of "Why are there no hurricanes in Europe?" It is not entirely correct. It is something atypical and abnormal, there is no doubt, especially because of the water temperatures in the oceans that predispose hostility to these great storms. But if global warming continues, More and more experts agree that the effects are unpredictable, and that even hurricanes could eventually arrive.
Looking back, we find Hurricane Faith that arrived in a weakened state in Norway in 1966. Gordon, which hit the Azores and the United Kingdom in 2006, like Faith, were hurricanes that reached Europe after hitting the American continent. They did it with low intensity, category 1. In 2005 we have Vince who entered the Iberian Peninsula, and who had trained on the coast of Morocco. But they have been the only ones for now.
Ophelia thus becomes the first major hurricane to reach Europe.