"Hurricane Lorenzo, the largest storm ever to roam the Eastern Atlantic, is forecast to strike the heart of Ireland’s west coast within days carrying tropical-strength winds, driving rain and a huge storm surge.
Once a Category 5 storm with 160 mile (257 kilometer) an hour winds, Lorenzo has lost some of its fury. But as its winds have ebbed to around 90 mph, it has swelled in size. It now extends 390 miles from its center, with hurricane force winds reaching 150 miles. That’s a record for that part of the Atlantic, said Phil Klotzbach, a researcher at Colorado State University.
Hurricane-force winds are hitting western Azores, with tropical-storm conditions occurring over central Azores, according to a 2 a.m. Atlantic standard time advisory by the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm was initially forecast to graze Ireland, but the latest track shows an eastern bend that has it striking between Sligo and Galway. The storm’s size likely guarantees a powerful impact on a country that’s only 171 miles at its widest point."
