ents . ▁An ▁eye ▁then ▁became ▁visible ▁at ▁both ▁mid - ▁and ▁upper - level ▁height s , ▁and ▁N icole ▁rapidly ▁strength ened ▁to ▁a ▁Category   2 ▁h urr icane ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁B erm uda , ▁as ▁wind s ▁reached ▁ 1 0 5   m ph ▁( 1 6 5   km / h ) ▁early ▁on ▁October   7 . ▁With ▁Matthew ▁located ▁off sh ore ▁Florida , ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁that ▁two ▁h urr ican es ▁at ▁or ▁above ▁Category   2 ▁existed ▁simultaneously ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁( 6 5 ° W ). ▁However , ▁N icole ▁was ▁then ▁impact ed ▁by ▁wind ▁she ar , ▁with ▁the ▁eye ▁soon ▁becoming ▁no ▁longer ▁visible ▁and ▁con ve ction ▁dimin ishing . ▁N icole ▁rapidly ▁weak ened ▁to ▁a ▁strong ▁tropical ▁storm ▁on ▁October   7 . ▁Further ▁weak ening ▁occurred ▁as ▁it ▁dr ift ed ▁south ward , ▁and ▁by ▁October   8 , ▁the ▁circul ation ▁was ▁exposed ▁and ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁bare ly ▁a ▁tropical ▁storm , ▁with ▁all ▁con ve ction ▁disp la ced ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁Later ▁that ▁day , ▁an ▁impress ive ▁burst ▁of ▁con ve ction ▁fla red ▁up ▁over ▁the ▁center , ▁and ▁N icole ▁again ▁became ▁more ▁organized ▁as ▁it ▁began ▁to ▁turn ▁to ▁the ▁north . ▁ ▁Grad ual ▁intens ification ▁continued ▁throughout ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁days ▁before ▁briefly ▁stopping , ▁then ▁later ▁res uming ▁on