Danielle to head toward Europe following Atlantic adventure
Hurricane season officially begins on June 1, but usually doesn't peak in the Atlantic until Mid-August to the end of September. This is when conditions are perfect for hurricanes and depressions.
Danielle, the first storm to achieve hurricane status of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, lost some strength as it continued to churn over the open ocean on Thursday. Danielle has yet to be a threat to any country during its lifetime, but that is set to change as early as this weekend, AccuWeather forecasters say.
Danielle, after taking a leisurely, meandering journey across the open Atlantic, will approach a populated landmass for the first time since it formed on Sept. 1.
Forecasters say portions of Western Europe, including Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, will need to remain on alert for possible impacts from Danielle from Sunday into the early week.
AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ satellite imagery captured Danielle as it churned in the open North Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AccuWeather)
As of Friday morning, Danielle remained well away from land and was located well north-northwest of the Azores, an archipelago located more than 800 miles (1,290 km) west of Portugal. Danielle had sustained wind speeds of 65 mph (105 km/h) and was classified as a tropical rainstorm by AccuWeather meteorologists since the storm lost tropical characteristics. The National Hurricane Center designated Danielle as a post-tropical cyclone.
As the week progresses, Danielle will continue to encounter conditions that are hostile to tropical development. On Thursday, as Danielle moved over an area of colder water and increased wind shear, it transitioned into a tropical rainstorm.
Danielle is expected to remain a tropical rainstorm as it approaches the coast of Portugal at the start of the upcoming week. Even though Danielle no longer has tropical characteristics, the rainstorm will still be able to spread a swath of rainfall across Western Europe.
"The extent and location of the rain will depend on the exact track of the storm, though it appears as if most rain amounts will reside within the 1-2 inch (25-50 mm) range with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches (125 mm)," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
In general, forecasters expect the heaviest rain from Danielle to target central and northern Portugal, far northwestern Spain and southern Ireland from Sunday to Monday. Outside of these areas, rain and embedded thunderstorms can still develop across a much larger portion of Western Europe.
Much of the rain from Danielle will be beneficial due to significant drought conditions in place across Western Europe, although some heavy downpours could lead to localized flash flooding.
"All of southwestern England is facing levels of drought at the moment. Any rainfall that the U.K. may receive from the storm will help to alleviate the dry environment and subsequent low river levels," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer explained.
"Additional rainfall is desperately needed across England, Wales and Ireland to help rebound from the extremely hot and dry summer," she said, adding that recent stormy weather across the region has made only a small contribution to the groundwater and reservoir levels.
In addition to rainfall, Danielle could unleash gusty winds of 40-60 mph (60-100 km/h) along coastal areas of Portugal, Spain and France. Winds of this magnitude can be enough to cause localized damage to trees and power lines, experts say.
"Due to increased shower activity and the potential for gusty winds, Danielle is a less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Tropical Cyclones in Western Europe," Buckingham said.
Danielle is expected to dissipate by Tuesday, and any lingering moisture from the system will continue to increase chances for stormy weather across Europe through at least midweek.
Correction: This story previously stated that the heaviest rain would unfold across far northeastern Spain, among other areas. The forecast is calling for the heaviest rain to develop across far northwestern Spain.
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