Gabrielle intensifies into a Category 3 hurricane far from land

By JUDSON JONES

Gabrielle, the second hurricane of the Atlantic season, became a Category 3 storm Monday and may even become stronger before it begins to weaken later this week, but its projected path will keep it far away from the East Coast of the United States.

Here’s what you need to know:

— With the storm spinning out at sea, no warning or watches have been issued. But forecasters warned that swells from the storm were reaching Bermuda, causing dangerous rip current conditions as the storm moves past the island. The swells were also reaching the East Coast of the United States from North Carolina northward, and they will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions over the next few days, the hurricane center said.

— Gabrielle ended an extended quiet period during what is normally the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and forecasters have said there were signs the basin will be more active in the coming weeks. There have been seven named storms so far this year; in August, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they expected as many as 18 named storms for the season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

— The Trump administration has slashed the number of employees at many of the agencies traditionally responsible for planning for and responding to natural disasters, including NOAA, the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far, it is unclear how those cuts might affect the accuracy of forecasts.