Hurricane Lorenzo briefly became an extremely powerful category 5 hurricane before returning to a category 4. Lorenzo is the strongest hurricane on record this far north and east in the Atlantic basin.

Lorenzo’s thick core is surrounded by a big, clear eye as it joined the rare club of the most intense storms in recent years. According to the National Hurricane Centre fluctuations in intensity are possible with a weakening forecast set to begin later tonight but the powerful system is still expected to be a large and potent hurricane as it approaches the Azores near Portugal in a few days.