Large swells from massive Hurricane Lorenzo will impact a huge area around the Atlantic. The hurricane which has a windfield greater than 500 miles across is spinning about in the Atlantic; the waves and swells it’s whipping up will reach North and South America and Africa in the coming days.

As of the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the center of Hurricane Lorenzo was located near latitude 22.5 North, longitude 44.8 West. Lorenzo is moving toward the north near 10 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through Sunday morning by the meteorologist at the NHC. A turn toward the north-northeast is forecast on Sunday, followed by a faster motion toward the northeast beginning Monday or Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph  with higher gusts, making  Lorenzo a major category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Only very gradual weakening is expected during the next few days, and Lorenzo is forecast to remain a strong hurricane when it turns toward northeastward towards the Azores.

Lorenzo is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 275 miles. Lorenzo’s cloud canopy is over 600 miles wide.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 957 mb or 28.26 inches of mercury.

Swells generated by Lorenzo are affecting portions of the northeastern coast of South America and the Lesser Antilles and are expected to spread westward to portions of the north coasts of the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the east coast of the United States during the next few days. Swells are also expected to build near the Azores on Sunday and Monday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.