Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Gabrielle could rapidly intensify to near major-hurricane strength

Top weather news for Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025: Tropical Storm Gabrielle is expected to become the second hurricane of the Atlantic season on Sunday, and forecasters say it could rapidly intensify to near major-hurricane strength in the coming days.

Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. Here's everything you need to know about this week's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle could rapidly intensify to near major-hurricane strength

Tropical Storm Gabrielle is expected to become the second hurricane of the Atlantic season on Sunday, and forecasters say it could rapidly intensify to near major-hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher) in the coming days.

The National Hurricane Center said that Gabrielle is expected to pass to the east of Bermuda on Monday, generating dangerous swells around the island through at least the start of the week ahead. Swells are also expected to reach the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina northward, as well as Atlantic Canada, over the next few days, which will produce dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents at local beaches.

Flood threat grows in western North Carolina as 1-year anniversary of Helene approaches

Some much-needed rain is expected to impact areas of the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys this week, including areas of western North Carolina that were slammed by historic and deadly flooding from Hurricane Helene nearly one year ago.

The flash flood threat advances eastward each day. By Thursday, it covers parts of East Tennessee and western North Carolina, which were among the hardest-hit areas by Helene.

Autumnal equinox will usher in fall on Monday

Fall begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Monday, when Earth experiences equal day and night, known as the autumnal equinox.

According to NASA, this year the autumnal equinox happens on Sept. 22 at 2:19 p.m. ET or 11:19 a.m. PT, marking the moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our equator.

Watch this: Hawaii's Kilauea volcano shoots 500-foot fountains of lava

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was aglow in neon orange early Friday morning during the most recent eruptive episode of Kilauea.

Footage shows a fountain of lava shooting more than 500 feet high – or nearly as tall as the Washington Monument – from the summit of the volcano.

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