Hurricane Ophelia (2017)

Hurricane Ophelia
	Hurricane Ophelia at peak intensity south of the Azores on 14 October
Meteorological history
Formed	9 October 2017
Extratropical	16 October 2017
Dissipated	18 October 2017
Category 3 major hurricane
	1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	115 mph (185 km/h)
Lowest pressure	959 mbar (hPa); 28.32 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	3 indirect
Damage	$87.7 million (2017 USD)
Areas affected	Azores, Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Russia
	IBTrACS
	Part of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane and; 2017–18 European windstorm seasons

Hurricane Ophelia (known as Storm Ophelia in Ireland and the United Kingdom while extratropical) was regarded as the worst storm to affect Ireland in 50 years, and was also the easternmost Atlantic major hurricane^{[nb 1]} on record.^[2] The tenth and final consecutive hurricane and the sixth major hurricane of the very active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Ophelia had non-tropical origins from a decaying cold front on 6 October. Located within a favorable environment, the storm steadily strengthened over the next two days, drifting north and then southeastwards before becoming a hurricane on 11 October. After becoming a Category 2 hurricane and fluctuating in intensity for a day, Ophelia intensified into a major hurricane on 14 October south of the Azores, brushing the archipelago with high winds and heavy rainfall. Shortly after achieving peak intensity, Ophelia began weakening as it accelerated over progressively colder waters to its northeast towards Ireland and Great Britain. Completing an extratropical transition early on 16 October, Ophelia became the second storm of the 2017–18 European windstorm season. Early on 17 October, the cyclone crossed the North Sea and struck western Norway, with wind gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) in Rogaland county, before weakening during the evening of 17 October. The system then moved across Scandinavia, before dissipating over Norway on the next day.

Three deaths can be directly attributed to Ophelia, all of which occurred in Ireland. Total losses from the storm were less than initially feared, with a minimum estimate of total insured losses across Ireland and the United Kingdom of US$87.7 million.

^ Christopher W. Landsea; Neal M. Dorst (ed.) (2 June 2011). "A: Basic Definitions". Hurricane Research Division: Frequently Asked Questions. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane ? What is an intense hurricane ?. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2013. {{cite book}}: |author2= has generic name (help)
^ Lui, Kevin (16 October 2017). "What to Know About Ophelia, the Atlantic's Easternmost Hurricane Ever". TIME. Vol. 190, no. 15. Retrieved 16 December 2020.

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[1] Christopher W. Landsea; Neal M. Dorst (ed.) (2 June 2011). "A: Basic Definitions". Hurricane Research Division: Frequently Asked Questions. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. A3) What is a super-typhoon? What is a major hurricane ? What is an intense hurricane ?. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2013. {{cite book}}: |author2= has generic name (help)

[3] Lui, Kevin (16 October 2017). "What to Know About Ophelia, the Atlantic's Easternmost Hurricane Ever". TIME. Vol. 190, no. 15. Retrieved 16 December 2020.

[nb 1]

[2]