Hurricane Ernesto makes landfall in Bermuda

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Hurricane Ernesto makes landfall in Bermuda

Hurricane Ernesto has made landfall on the tiny British Atlantic territory of Bermuda as residents bunker down amid warnings of strong winds, floods and dangerous storm surges.

The hurricane is now exhibiting a large rain-free centre region that is just about to move past Bermuda, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

The eye has expanded and Ernesto has slowed down, though the second half of the storm is set to move over Bermuda Saturday afternoon.

The wide category one storm has maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h.

The US National Hurricane Centre warned of strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and significant coastal flooding.

It said some 150-225mm of rain was expected to fall on Bermuda.

“This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island,” the centre said.

Due to the large size of the storm and its slow movement, hurricane-strength winds are expected to continue until Saturday afternoon, with tropical storm-strength winds continuing well into Sunday, the Bermuda government said.

Ernesto is moving toward the north-northeast at about 15 km/h.

A Saturday morning update from the Bermuda Weather Service said a Hurricane warning ******** in effect.

“We want to reiterate the storm is not over,” National Security Minister Michael Weeks said.

The minister said that currently the Emergency Measures Organisation is receiving damage assessments as reports from overnight come into the operations group.

They have not received any reports of any major damages yet.

The National Hurricane Centre reported life-threatening surf and rip currents on the east coast of the ******* States and said they would reach Canada during the day.

The centre of Ernesto will slowly move away from Bermuda Saturday and pass near south-eastern Newfoundland late on Monday, the centre said.

Bermuda power utility BELCO said that as of Saturday afternoon, more than 26,00 customers were out of power.

Lana Morris, manager of Edgehill Manor Guest House in Bermuda said that conditions were calm, but the wind had started to pick up again.

“I spoke to my guests, they told me they still have electricity, they have running water, and are comfortable,” Morris said.

Morris said she has been communicating with her guests via phone.

Bermuda is an archipelago of 181 tiny islands whose total land mass is roughly the size of Manhattan.

According to AccuWeather, it’s uncommon for the eye of a hurricane to make landfall in Bermuda.

It noted that, before today, since 1850 only 11 of 130 tropical storms that came within 160 kilometres of Bermuda had landfall.

The island is a renowned offshore financial centre with sturdy construction, and given its elevation, storm surge is not as problematic as it is with low-lying islands.

Ernesto previously battered the north-east Caribbean, where it left tens of thousands of people without water in Puerto Rico.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Hurricane #Ernesto #landfall #Bermuda

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up