Hurricane Ophelia moves east over Atlantic

WASHINGTON: Hurricane Ophelia moved eastward over the mid-Atlantic yesterday as a category two storm packing winds gusting at up to 165 kilometres per hour en route for the Azores.

The US-based National Hurricane Center said that as of 0300 GMT the eye of Ophelia was 670 miles southwest of the Azores and moving at a rate of seven miles an hour.

The hurricane is expected to weaken somewhat Friday night but remain a hurricane for the next couple of days.

Ophelia is forecast to produce total rain accumulations of two to four inches over the southeastern Azores Saturday and Saturday night, the NHC said.

The rainfall could trigger flooding, it said. — AFP