Hurricane Gonzalo is quickly moving away from Bermuda after making landfall Friday night.

Gonzalo has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.

The hurricane's winds reached 145 mph Thursday before falling to 125 mph late Friday morning, then 115 mph Friday afternoon. To compare, a hurricane reaches Category 5 status its winds are 145 mph or higher.

Gonzalo was the first Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Basin since 2011, when Hurricane Ophelia reached maximum winds of 140 mph.

The storm will continue to send significant waves toward the Atlantic beaches. The swells will continue to build through Friday and Saturday and contribute to a higher than normal threat for rip currents. Wave heights will peak in the 4-foot to 6-foot range.

Hurricane Gonzalo Advisory

11 p.m. Gonzalo forecast to pass near the coast of Newfoundland tonight and early Sunday.

Watches and Warnings

Changes with this advisory:

None.

Summary of watches and warnings in effect: 

A tropical storm watch is in effect for:
*Arnolds Cove to Chapels Cove, Newfoundland

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 12 to 24 hours.

Discussion and 48-hour outlook

At 11 p.m., the center of Hurricane Gonzalo was located near latitude 42.3 north, longitude 57.0 west. Gonzalo is moving toward the north-northeast near 39 mph. The hurricane is expected to increase its forward speed over the next day and should pass close or just south of Cape Race, Newfoundland late tonight or Saturday morning.

Maximum sustained winds have dropped to near 90 mph with higher gusts. Some additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Gonzalo is expected to transform into an extratropical cyclone in about a day.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 290 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 966 mb or 28.53 inches.

Hazards affecting land

Wind: Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area in Newfoundland by late tonight and early Sunday.

Surf: Large swells generated by Gonzalo are still affecting portions of the Virgin Islands, the northern coasts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, portions of the Bahamas, portions of the United States East Coast, Bermuda and Atlantic Canada. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Next advisory

Complete Advisory: 5 a.m.