Hurricane Earl Weakens, Downgraded To Category 2
Photograph from NOAA showing Earl just after midnight
Forecasters think that Long Island will "dodge a bullet" with Hurricane Earl. Newsday reports, "The National Hurricane Center is now predicting that Earl, which went from a Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of 145 mph to a Category 2 storm with winds of 105 mph Thursday, will likely be a Category 1 hurricane with winds in the 80-mph range by the time it passes Long Island late Friday about 150 miles to the east." Now less rain is expected, with winds in the "35 mph to 45 mph range with wind gusts to 50 mph."
The National Weather Service's Brandon Smith said, "Though it will still be a hurricane, the impact will be tropical storm force winds." However, because the storm is weakening, it could "flatten out"—Newsday explains that it means "wind velocities won't be as high the area they cover will be more widespread. And, by default, so could be the area of rainfall."
Right now, Earl is off North Carolina; a tropical storm warning is still in effect for NJ and Massachusetts is expected to be hit hard by rain, though Earl may be a Category 1 hurricane by the time it arrives there.
