EPSILON STRENGTHENS INTO MAJOR HURRICANE SOUTH OF BERMUDA

Tropical storm Epsilon strengthened into a category 3 hurricane Wednesday, becoming the 10th hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic basin storm season. Since 1966, only four Atlantic hurricane seasons have generated 10 hurricanes by October 21. Epsilon also set a new record for the earliest 26th named storm of the season, beating the 2005 season, when the 26th named storm developed on November 22. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Bermuda late Wednesday. The US National Hurricane Centre said Epsilon was likely to pass to the east of Bermuda late Thursday, with tropical storm conditions extending outward up to 450 miles. Forecasters expect Epsilon to weaken beginning Thursday but remain a hurricane through the weekend as it shifts to a northeast track well to the south of Canada’s maritime provinces.