(Miami) The Hurricane Ernesto reached Bermuda on Saturday, where it made landfall at 4:30 a.m. ET, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).
More than 26,000 homes are without electricity, announced Belco, the electricity company of this British archipelago located off the east coast of the United States, or more than 70% of its customers in a territory of 64,000 inhabitants.
Classified as a Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of 5, the hurricane could bring up to 225 mm of rain in some areas with winds of up to 130 km/h.
“The rainfall is likely to cause flash floods that could endanger the lives of residents, especially in low-lying areas of the island,” the NHC said in its latest bulletin.
As of 11:30 a.m. local time, the island was in the eye of the storm, according to the Bermuda Weather Service.
Images posted on social media showed fallen trees blocking roads, power lines damaged by the gusts and flooded streets.
PHOTO NICOLA MUIRHEAD, REUTERS
A tree fell on a house after the hurricane passed Ernesto in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda, on August 17.
On Friday, some roads were closed and coach and ferry services were suspended. LF Wade International Airport said it would remain closed until Sunday.
“This is not a storm to be taken lightly,” National Security Minister Michael Weeks warned after a meeting on Friday, according to the newspaper. The Royal Gazette.
“Please take all necessary precautions to protect your lives and property. Stay indoors, stay safe,” he added.
This week, Ernesto has already caused heavy rains in Puerto Rico, leaving more than 600,000 people without power.
According to forecasts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the hurricane season in the North Atlantic, which runs from early June to late November, is expected to be particularly turbulent this year, particularly due to the warm oceans.
The Hurricane Ernesto expected to bring big waves to Nova Scotia
The Canadian Hurricane Centre says the hurricane Ernesto will cause strong waves on the coast of Nova Scotia starting Saturday evening.
The storm made landfall in Bermuda earlier today and its center is now just north of the island.
Ernesto continues to move northeast and is expected to reach an area southeast of the Maritimes by Monday.
The hurricane center said the hurricane will strengthen into a post-tropical storm as it moves south of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland later today.
Forecasters said Ernesto could pass close enough to bring rain and winds to parts of the Avalon, Bonavista and Burin peninsulas, with the heaviest rains lasting three to six hours.
The centre said large breaking waves would create a risk of coastal flooding for communities on the southern Avalon Peninsula and Placentia Bay, and there could be minor damage to wharves and coastal structures.
The Canadian Press