Copyright royalgazette
Hurricane Melissa is expected to pass the island about 122 miles to the northwest at 1am tomorrow, the latest information from the Bermuda Weather Service showed. The system is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane at that time. In its 9am update, the BWS said that Melissa had maximum sustained winds of about 104mph with gusts up to 127mph. At that time, the storm was almost 610 miles southwest of Bermuda moving north-northeast at 21mph. The BWS said this morning: “Settled conditions rapidly deteriorate towards evening with the approach of Hurricane Melissa. “Tropical storm-force winds develop this evening, further building to become hurricane strength overnight with hazardous seas and dangerous rip currents. “A hurricane warning is in effect as Hurricane Melissa passes to our near west, racing away to the northeast on Friday. “Cool and calm weather develops over the weekend.” It added that conditions tonight were expected to be overcast with squally showers and possibly some thunder. Skyport said that LF Wade International Airport will close at 6pm today and is expected to reopen tomorrow, pending a midday assessment. A government spokeswoman added: “The public will be advised accordingly of the airport's reopening and travellers are encouraged to check with their respective airlines regarding any planned travel.” In a revision to announcements made yesterday, the shelter at CedarBridge Academy will open at 7pm today, not 6pm as earlier stated. The US-based National Hurricane Centre said that at 9am, Melissa was heading towards the north-northeast at almost 21mph and was expected to continue accelerating in that direction over the next two days. It added: “On the forecast track, the centre of Melissa is expected to pass to the northwest of Bermuda later today and tonight. “Maximum sustained winds are near 105mph with higher gusts. “Little change in strength is expected today, and a weakening trend is likely to begin on Friday. “Hurricane-force winds extend outwards up to 60 miles from the centre and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.” The NHC said that outer bands east of Melissa’s track could bring up to an inch of rain across the island today and tonight. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were also forecast. Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, said yesterday: “I realise that this has been a busy hurricane season for us and that our resilience has been tested. “However, I implore all residents to remain vigilant while we navigate another natural threat to our way of life. “We are renowned for our ability to cope with such adversity and I am confident that we shall all play our part to keep ourselves and each other safe over the next few days.”
