Hurricane Ernesto hits Bermuda, leaving 75% of the territory without electricity

He hurricane Ernesto, with sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), hit Bermuda, leaving 75 percent of the British territory in the Atlantic Ocean without power, moving with gales and rain for at least the next 36 hours.

Bermuda’s Minister of National Security, Michael Weeks, said in a statement that authorities have received reports of damage to citizens’ homes, as well as to the infrastructure of BELCO, the state-owned electricity company.

Weeks said he would provide more information on the damage later in the day.
LF Wade International Airport and some roads will remain closed until further notice from authorities.

An anemometer at the Bermuda National Museum in Dockyard recorded sustained winds of 88 miles per hour (142 km/h) with gusts up to 109 miles per hour (175 km/h) during the early part of the hurricane.

The hurricane made landfall at around 5:30 a.m. local time (09:30 GMT) as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida (USA).

Ernesto, however, is slowly moving away from Bermuda and is now more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the territory after its eye made landfall.

As the system moves away from Bermuda, it will slow down, and forecasters are predicting that Bermuda will experience another extended period of strong winds and rain over the next 36 hours.

Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) Director Michelle Pitcher said Ernesto could dump a little more than 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain on the territory and that when it passes, it will become a Category 2 hurricane.

“We will see weather conditions deteriorate overnight and after midnight,” he said.

The BWS, in turn, maintains a hurricane warning for Bermuda.
“Garage-force winds will continue to prevail through the day, gradually diminishing in the afternoon, and tropical storm-force winds will continue overnight,” the BWS warned.

“In addition, dangerous swells continue, particularly on the southern coast, where sea currents will increase their danger,” the warning added.

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