Hurricane Nigel moved toward the north of the central Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Nigel was located at latitude 37.4°N and longitude 53.0°W which put it about 755 miles (1215 km) east-northeast of Bermuda. Nigel was moving toward the north-northeast at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 973 mb.

A large, circular eye with a diameter of 70 miles (110 km) was at the center of Hurricane Nigel on Wednesday afternoon. The eye was surrounded by a broken ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the large core of Nigel’s circulation. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the north of the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Nigel’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 160 miles (260 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Nigel will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Nigel will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are cooler than 26°C. An upper level trough over the East Coast of the U.S. will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Nigel’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase. More wind shear and cooler water will cause Hurricane Nigel to weaken on Thursday. The vertical wind shear and cooler water will also cause Hurricane Nigel to start a transition to a strong extratropical cyclone.

The upper level trough over the East Coast of the U.S. will steer Hurricane Nigel toward the northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, NIgel will pass far to the southeast of Newfoundland.