Bermuda Feeling Winds, Heavy Rains from Hurricane Florence

A hurricane warning continues for Bermuda as Florence, the sixth named storm of the season, passes near the island.

The center of the storm is passing a short distance west and northwest of Bermuda this morning. At 8 am the center was located just 60 miles offshore. It is moving at about 12 mph and is expected to pick up speed.

The most recent bulletin (8:00 a.m. EDT) from the National Hurricane Center in Miami noted that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph/130 km/hr with higher gusts. It is expected to dump 2 to 4 inches of rain. Storm surge could create waves 6 to 8 feet above normal.

Florence is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The latest advisories suggest that categorization is not expected to change within the next 24 hours.

Source: National Hurricane Center