Hurricane Larry is longest-lived major hurricane since Dorian in 2019, expert says

Robin Webb, Chris Perkins and Victoria Ballard, South Florida Sun Sentinel
·2 min read

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Hurricane Larry’s top winds dropped to 105 mph late Wednesday, with its large and dangerous swells due to stretch all the way to Florida and up the U.S. East Coast, forecasters said.

Larry was a Category 3 major hurricane for four days, making it the longest-lived major Atlantic hurricane since Dorian in 2019, according to Colorado State hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach. Larry’s top winds reached a peak of 125 mph Sunday, just 5 mph shy of the minimum threshold for a Category 4 hurricane.

The rip currents and swells, which the National Hurricane Center characterized as life-threatening, will last through the week’s end and also impact parts of the far eastern Caribbean, Bahamas and Canadian shores, forecasters said.

Areas north of Palm Beach County could see waves between 4 and 6 feet in areas such as Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Don Harrigan.

Tropical storm conditions are expected late Wednesday or Thursday in Bermuda as Hurricane Larry churns toward the island as a Category 2 hurricane. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the island.

Larry is forecast to pass east of Bermuda, making its closest approach Thursday. Because Larry is such a large storm, impacts could be felt well east of the island, the hurricane center said.

Larry’s speed is then forecast to increase as it approaches Newfoundland, Canada. Its intensity could drop as it moves over the cooler water.

Larry is forecast to pass near Cape Race, Newfoundland, late Friday.

“Newfoundland has been the target of nearly three dozen named tropical systems since 1950, although most were downgraded to extratropical systems by landfall,” said AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor and Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Larry was 375 miles southeast of Bermuda, moving on a path to the northwest at 15 mph. By Thursday, it is expected to speed up and turn north-northwest and north. Forecasters said Larry’s hurricane-force winds extended up to 70 miles from its center with tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 240 miles outward.

Tropical Storm Mindy formed in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday.

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