According to a statement from the Azores Meteorological Forecast and Surveillance Center of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), at 9:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. in Lisbon) today, Gabrielle was "approximately 2,640 kilometres west-southwest of the Western Azores group," moving northeast.

According to the IPMA, it is currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

However, "in the coming days, as it approaches the Azores archipelago, it is expected to lose intensity, hitting the region with tropical storm-force or Category 1 hurricane-force winds," said meteorologist Rita Mota.

The latest forecast update indicates that the centre of the cyclone is expected to pass between the Western (Flores and Corvo) and Central (Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial) hurricane groups on Friday.

Therefore, rainfall is expected to occur on all islands starting early Friday morning, with heavy rainfall in the Western and Central groups.

The winds are expected to intensify, with gusts ranging from 130 to 150 kilometers per hour (from the southwest, turning northwest).

Sea agitation is also expected to increase, with waves reaching eight to ten meters in significant height and a maximum height of 14 to 18 meters (from the southwest to the northwest), according to the IPMA.

Given the geographic and temporal distance of the cyclone, the IPMA states that "some uncertainty remains regarding its trajectory and intensity, which may lead to changes in the currently available forecast."