The leading edge of Hurricane Gonzalo moved onto Bermuda on Friday evening, pounding the British territory with fierce wind and heavy surf as a powerful Category 3 storm that could raise coastal seas as much as three metres.
The storm's top sustained winds were clocked at 185 km/h, the U.S. National Hurricane Centre said, making it the strongest storm to hit the tiny Atlantic island chain in a decade. Gonzalo was moving north-northeast at 26 km/h and was expected to batter Bermuda for hours during the night.
A white haze covered the island as waves slammed into the shore and wind uprooted trees. The Bermuda Weather Service said the eye of Gonzalo would move over parts of the island, bringing a lull, but warned people not to go outside because the most dangerous winds were expected after nightfall.
Forecasters said a storm surge would cause significant flooding on an island about one-third the size of Washington, D.C.
'We are still looking at an imminent pass near or over Bermuda,' said Jeff Torgerson, a meteorologist for the Bermuda Weather Service.
The agency said seas outside the reef were nine metres and still building. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm's wind speed was likely to slow as Gonzalo moved farther northward on a track that would take it past Newfoundland and across the Atlantic to Britain and Ireland, with a tropical storm watch issued for parts of southeastern Newfoundland.
But 'any weakening is probably too late to spare Bermuda, with almost all of the guidance showing the system as a major hurricane as it moves nearby.'
Fabian was last major hurricane
The last major hurricane to strike Bermuda was Fabian in September 2003, a Category 3 storm that killed three police officers and another person while causing more than $100 million US in damage as it tore off roofs, pulverized trees and flooded famed golf courses. It also damaged the causeway linking the airport to most of Bermuda and left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
Forecasters said Gonzalo was on the same path as Fabian and expected to cause similar damage.
The last major hurricane to cross land in the Atlantic Basin was Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which hit Cuba as a Category 3 storm.
Bermuda has a population of roughly 70,000 and lies 1,400 kilometres east of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world and is well-prepared to handle intense storms, with officials enforcing strict building codes to ensure homes can withstand sustained winds of at least 177 km/h.
The island's premier urged those in low-lying areas to consider moving to higher ground.
'We should expect at least 24 hours of storm-force winds,' Premier Michael Dunkley said.
Bermuda closed its schools, the international airport and the causeway.
Gonzalo arrives just days after Tropical Storm Fay
Despite warnings to take shelter, a crowd gathered at Elbow Beach Friday morning on the island's southeast coast to watch the growing waves and swap storm safety tips.
Soldiers from the Bermuda Regiment were dispatched to several areas, with some stationed at nursing homes. Two ambulances and medical personnel were stationed at the regiment's headquarters in case the hospital became inaccessible. At least 22,000 people were without power.
A 133-metre frigate of Britain's Royal Navy with a crew of some 180 sailors was expected to arrive Sunday to help with post-storm recovery efforts.
The hurricane was arriving just days after Tropical Storm Fay damaged homes and knocked down trees and power lines in Bermuda, and people stripped stores of emergency supplies as they battened down for Gonzalo.
Gonzalo swept by the eastern Caribbean earlier this week, claiming one life in the Dutch territory of St. Maarten. Large ocean swells continued to affect parts of the Virgin Islands, the northern coasts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, parts of the Bahamas and the U.S. southeast coast.
With files from Reuters
Entities 0 Name: Bermuda Count: 10 1 Name: Gonzalo Count: 8 2 Name: US Count: 4 3 Name: Bermuda Weather Service Count: 2 4 Name: Tropical Storm Fay Count: 2 5 Name: Atlantic Count: 2 6 Name: Fabian Count: 2 7 Name: Newfoundland Count: 2 8 Name: Britain Count: 2 9 Name: Caribbean Count: 1 10 Name: Jeff Torgerson Count: 1 11 Name: Bahamas Count: 1 12 Name: Ireland Count: 1 13 Name: Dutch Count: 1 14 Name: Cuba Count: 1 15 Name: Virgin Islands Count: 1 16 Name: Puerto Rico Count: 1 17 Name: South Carolina Count: 1 18 Name: Dominican Republic Count: 1 19 Name: D.C. Count: 1 20 Name: Atlantic Basin Count: 1 21 Name: Michael Dunkley Count: 1 22 Name: U.S. National Hurricane Center Count: 1 23 Name: British Count: 1 24 Name: St. Maarten Count: 1 25 Name: Washington Count: 1 26 Name: Royal Navy Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1vCCn2j Title: Hurricane Gonzalo bearing down on Bermuda Description: A powerful Hurricane Gonzalo bore down on this tiny British territory early Friday, threatening to batter Bermuda with dangerous winds and life-threatening storm surge. Premier Michael Dunkley urged residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground. "This hurricane is a large storm, and we should expect at least 24 hours of storm-force winds," he warned.
