Parts of northwestern Europe are on alert for a significant storm system originating in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Kirk, the 11th storm of the 2024 hurricane season, reached Category 4 storm status on Thursday. But it will eventually target locations such as the United Kingdom and France with heavy rain, rough seas and damaging winds.

Forecast models show that impacts will begin late in the next business week as the storm system loses its heat source from the warm Atlantic Ocean and becomes known as a post-tropical cyclone.

A post-tropical storm system is a cyclone that has lost its tropical characteristics but still has significant organization that produces heavy rainfall and strong winds.

---

TORNADOES CROSS THROUGH GERMANY, INJURING DOZENS

Kirk misses North America, but still suffers some consequences

Kirk began its trek in the central Atlantic Ocean on September 29 and quickly grew into a Category 3 hurricane a few days later.

The FOX Forecast Center says that due to the orientation of the subtropical ridge and a significant trough, the hurricane will bypass areas such as Bermuda, the Bahamas and the United States as it follows a northerly to northeasterly track from the tropics.

Because of the cyclone’s size, with damaging winds extending nearly 200 miles (320 km), the National Hurricane Center warns that the swell could eventually reach the East Coast, even though the hurricane is expected to remain hundreds of miles away from North America.

The direct consequences will be limited to Europe once the hurricane transitions into a post-tropical system.

Forecast models show that more than 6 inches of precipitation will be possible from the remnants of Kirk, as well as wind gusts that could approach hurricane force, once the core of the system approaches Europe next week.

DEATH TOLL RISE ABOVE 200 A WEEK AFTER HELENE DECIMATES SOUTHEAST COMMUNITIES

---

Remnants may challenge records of former hurricanes

According to forecast models, Kirk’s remnants could challenge some of the records produced during storm systems that originated in the form of hurricanes.

2017’s Hurricane Ophelia was labeled one of the worst storms to hit Britain in decades, causing several deaths and damage totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Met Éireann, the national meteorological service serving Ireland, reported that the storm system produced wind speeds of more than 75 miles per hour, along with heavy rainfall.

Many trees were damaged and even a canopy of a football stadium in Cork City crumbled during the storm.

Despite the damage, the name ‘Ophelia’ was not removed from the World Meteorological Organization’s name lists.

Hurricane identifications are discontinued when use of the identification would be considered insensitive due to property damage and significant loss of life.

Hurricane Ophelia satellite in 2017

(NOAA)