Hurricane. Photo by Shutterstock The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Hurricane Humberto has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum winds of 160 mph, equivalent to approximately 260 km/h.
According to late Saturday night's update, the storm is positioned about 350 miles, or roughly 560 km, northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and approximately 685 miles (about 1,105 km) southeast of Bermuda, with no coastal warnings or advisories in effect. However, residents of Bermuda were asked to monitor the storm's progress closely.
Following Hurricane Humberto, cruise lines have announced changes to their sailings. Carnival Cruise Line's update on September 27 at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) said they were actively monitoring two storms and that they sent notifications regarding route changes to guests departing September 28 via Carnival Pride and Carnival Sunshine.
Here is the message sent to passengers of the two ships: "Due to the forecasted storm tracks in the central Atlantic Ocean, we must alter the cruise routes for safety reasons. Please check your email for full itinerary details and available options. We apologize for the changes caused by the weather conditions and thank you for your understanding."
They also advised passengers to "sign up for text alert services to receive timely updates" for their voyage.