After being designated a Tropical Storm late Thursday, Fabian achieved Hurricane status Friday afternoon, becoming the third storm to reach that designation this season. As of 5 p.m. EDT Friday, the storm was swirling westward through the Atlantic 1,075 miles east of the lesser Antilles, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The Miami-based forecasting service said Hurricane Fabian had decreased in forward speed to 16 mph in a westerly direction, which the service expects to continue with a gradual decrease in forward speed. Maximum sustained winds hit 75 mph, with higher gusts. The NHC advisory noted that Fabian is likely to strengthen through Saturday.

The NHC said hurricane force winds can be expected up to 15 miles away from the center of the storm, with tropical storm force winds radiating for 85 miles.

On Thursday, New York City-based Weather 2000 predicted that if Fabian — which was only known as Tropical Depression #10 at the time — reached storm level and eventually approaches the United States, there is a 40% chance of a Gulf of Mexico entry and a 60% chance of an Atlantic Seaboard encounter (see Daily GPI, Aug. 29).

On Friday, the company revised its prediction, stating that if Fabian was to eventually approach the U.S., there is now only a 20% chance of Gulf of Mexico entry and an 80% chance of an Atlantic Seaboard encounter.

Weather 2000 said Fabian has “good upper air outflow, decent symmetry, and robust convection.” As the storm swings around the climatological Azores/Bermuda High, the company looks for Fabian to gradually develop a larger northerly component to it’s current (almost) West motion.

“On this journey, Fabian should move in a rather linear path, passing to the North of the Windward Islands,” the company said.

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