Dhaka, Sept. 26 -- The former Hurricane Gabrielle was forecast to lash the Azores with hurricane conditions, including heavy rain, storm surge and large destructive waves starting Thursday, even after being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Gabrielle, located about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southwest of the Azores, had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving east-northeast at 30 mph (48 kph). Swells were already reaching the islands, producing life-threatening surf, rip currents and coastal flooding. Forecasters warned of hurricane-force wind gusts across parts of the archipelago through Friday, with Portugal expected to see impacts over the weekend.

Up to 5 i...