▁October   1 1 ▁as ▁the ▁storm ▁turned ▁towards ▁B erm uda ▁and ▁re - str ength ened ▁to ▁Category ▁ 1 ▁status . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 2 , ▁N icole ▁became ▁a ▁Category ▁ 2 ▁h urr icane ▁again . ▁Later ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁N icole ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁h urr icane ▁upon ▁reaching ▁Category ▁ 3 ▁intensity . ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁N icole ▁briefly ▁strength ened ▁into ▁a ▁Category ▁ 4 ▁h urr icane , ▁pe aking ▁with ▁maximum ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 1 4 0   m ph ▁( 2 2 0   km / h ). ▁However , ▁the ▁storm ▁weak ened ▁back ▁to ▁a ▁Category ▁ 3 ▁h urr icane ▁several ▁hours ▁later ▁due ▁to ▁increasing ▁vertical ▁wind ▁she ar . ▁At ▁ 1 5 : 0 0   UTC ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 3 , ▁the ▁h urr icane ' s ▁eye ▁passed ▁directly ▁over ▁B erm uda , ▁where ▁autom ated ▁surface ▁station ▁measured ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁of ▁ 8 7   m ph ▁( 1 4 1   km / h ) ▁and ▁a ▁g ust ▁reaching ▁ 1 1 9   m ph ▁( 1 9 1   km / h ). ▁At ▁ 0 6 : 0 0 ▁UTC ▁on ▁October   1 4 , ▁south w ester ly ▁wind ▁she ar ▁reduced ▁the ▁system ▁to ▁Category ▁ 1 ▁status . ▁The ▁storm ▁slowly ▁began ▁to ▁weak en ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁falling ▁to ▁a ▁tropical