Hurricane Gabrielle batters Azores, no injuries reported

Hurricane Gabrielle struck the Azores on Friday, battering seven of the archipelago’s nine islands with high winds, heavy rain and damaging seas while causing fallen trees, roof collapses and other infrastructure damage, Azores regional officials said. Authorities reported no injuries as emergency restrictions including school and public service closures and bans on coastal activities remained in force.

Portugal’s meteorological service had placed the islands on red alert ahead of the storm, and the Azores regional environment secretary, Alonso Miguel, said that impacts were less severe than some forecasts had anticipated. "Fortunately, there are no injuries to report most incidents are related to falling trees, infrastructure damage, and roof collapses," he told reporters. Miguel said maximum measured gusts at ground level reached 154 kilometers per hour, below earlier worst-case predictions, and that sea swells were also lower than feared.

Gabrielle formed last week and intensified into a major hurricane over the Atlantic before weakening as it tracked east-northeast. Advisories from the U.S. National Hurricane Center showed the storm at hurricane strength as it approached the...