Gabrielle forms in Atlantic, may track near Bermuda
Tropical Depression Seven has strengthened into Gabrielle over the central Atlantic, and is forecast to bring wind, rain, and rough surf to Bermuda, with indirect impacts possible for the Caribbean and U.S. East Coast.
Drone video captured on Sept. 16 shows a house that fell into the ocean as a coastal storm sent water surging into Cape Hatteras.
The seventh tropical depression of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has strengthened into Tropical Storm Gabrielle and may become a hurricane in the coming days. Direct impacts are possible in Bermuda, while indirect impacts—such as rough surf or rip currents—may affect parts of the northeastern Caribbean and the United States.
The unusual lull in Atlantic tropical activity during the climatological peak of hurricane season is at an end. The basin had not seen a tropical storm since Fernand's demise on Aug. 29. Not since 1992, during the gap between hurricanes Andrew and Bonnie, has there been anything similar.
The dashed red line represents AccuWeather meteorologists’ forecast path for the eye of Gabrielle. The gray shaded areas on either side of the forecast path represent alternative paths the storm could take based on changing steering conditions. Tropical storm and hurricane conditions will extend well beyond the track of the eye.
The spread-out tropical storm continues to battle some dry air near its center on Wednesday.
The next name on the Atlantic basin list for this year is Gabrielle.
"Interests in the northeastern Caribbean and Bermuda should closely monitor the progress of Gabrielle, as any shift in its track could bring wind and rain to the Leeward Islands late this week and this weekend," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.
Gabrielle is forecast to bring localized flooding, gusty winds and rough surf to Bermuda from early to the middle part of next week.
Periods of heavy rain are forecast to fall across Bermuda as Gabrielle moves by, most likely to the east of the islands. Rainfall totals of 1-2 inches are expected with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 4 inches. This rainfall can cause localized flooding in poor drainage areas.
Rainfall amounts will be highly dependent on the exact track of the storm.
While significant impacts to the U.S. are not expected at this time, rough surf and dangerous rip currents will be possible along the East Coast during the middle to late portions of next week, with Gabrielle forecast to track near Bermuda.
Gusty winds of 40-60 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 70 mph are expected across Bermuda from Monday night to next Wednesday, due to Gabrielle.
This wide view of the Atlantic was captured on Wednesday morning, Sept. 17, 2025. Tropical Depression Seven was located to the right of center, with a separate tropical wave farther to the right. Clusters of thunderstorms can be seen over the western Caribbean to waters surrounding Florida (left of center). AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, a tropical wave is moving westward off the coast of Africa has a low chance of developing from Friday to Monday.
"This tropical wave is struggling to organize at this time as it is moving through an area with atmospheric conditions that are challenging for tropical development," DaSilva said. "Still, people in the Caribbean should monitor forecast updates on this feature closely through the weekend as development conditions may change.”
In the United States' neighborhood, a storm that formed near the Atlantic Coast over the weekend neared tropical storm strength between Monday and Tuesday.
The storm, which had tropical depression characteristics, moved onshore in Virginia on Tuesday and ran out of time to evolve. At midweek, the storm continues to bring rough surf, coastal flooding, heavy rain and gusty winds to parts of the mid-Atlantic.
Thousands of miles to the south, AccuWeather meteorologists continue to watch the zone from the western Caribbean to the Gulf.
While no development is imminent in this area, waters remain very warm in the region, as well as a large part of the Atlantic basin. Tropical development typically requires ocean temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Portions of the Gulf and Caribbean are experiencing water temperatures well into the 80s to near 90.
"It takes more than warm water for tropical storms and hurricanes to form," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "When combative winds (wind shear) ease and dry air is replaced with moisture and waters are warm, the chances of development increase substantially.
Wind shear is dropping off in some areas, and dry air is less extensive, compared to recent weeks and the historic lull in tropical activity over the Atlantic.
Development in the Caribbean or Gulf could be spurred on by a tropical wave that fails to form when over the open Atlantic and then encounters more favorable conditions farther to the west.
When tropical storms and hurricanes form in the western Caribbean or Gulf, there is much less preparation time compared to a similar system that forms over the Atlantic and heads toward Central America or the U.S.
After Gabrielle, the next name on the list for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is Humberto.
AccuWeather's hurricane experts are projecting a total of six to nine hurricanes for the season.
Thus far, Erin has been the only hurricane of the year. Erin went on to become the only major hurricane and Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
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