Hurricane Humberto Strengthens to Category 4 in the Atlantic, Forecasts Show Possible Path
ATLANTIC OCEAN — Hurricane Humberto intensified rapidly overnight and reached Category 4 strength by Saturday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Despite the storm’s intensity, there are no immediate U.S. watches or warnings, though forecasters continue to monitor its movement in the Atlantic.
Current Track and Strength
As of early Saturday, Humberto was located about 375 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, moving west at 6 mph. The storm has tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 105 miles, and hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 25 miles from its center.
The NHC forecasts Humberto to strengthen further as it travels across the central Atlantic through the weekend. Its classification as a major hurricane highlights the potential for “significant loss of life and damage” if land were in its path, though officials stress that the storm remains far offshore.
Other Tropical Systems Developing
Humberto is the eighth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season and follows Hurricane Gabrielle, which is moving away from land without impacts.
Meteorologists are also closely monitoring a second system over the northeast Caribbean. This disturbance is expected to develop into a tropical depression over the weekend, potentially strengthening into a tropical storm by Sunday and a hurricane by late Monday.
Possible Interactions and Regional Impacts
Forecasters have mentioned the possibility of the Fujiwhara effect, a rare phenomenon where two storms interact and rotate around one another. However, CBS News meteorologists noted such an outcome is unlikely in this case.
While Humberto is not currently projected to strike the United States, the National Hurricane Center warns of downstream effects, including rough seas and heightened rip current risks along the Southeast U.S. coast from Florida to North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean system could bring significant rainfall, with up to 16 inches expected in Cuba and as much as 8 inches in the Bahamas, raising the risk of flooding and storm damage.
Hurricane Humberto’s rapid intensification underscores the active 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, with multiple systems forming in quick succession. Forecasters continue to urge residents in vulnerable regions to monitor updates as the tropics remain highly active.
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