Hurricane Nicole, a dangerous Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 125 mph, was bearing down on Bermuda on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Nicole’s core was forecast to move near or over Bermuda by Thursday afternoon, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said. The storm is not expected to threaten the United States.
Bobbi Singh tweeted that few people could be seen on the streets of the capital. “Downtown Hamilton #Bermuda. Ghost town as incredibly dangerous #HurricaneNicole approaches,” she said.
The National Hurricane Center said Nicole was about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda at 11 a.m. ET Thursday. The storm was moving toward the northeast at about 16 mph (28 kilometers per hour).
“On the forecast track, the center of Nicole will move away from Bermuda this afternoon,” the hurricane center said.
Nicole attained a Category 4 status Wednesday night but later weakened to a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the center said.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bermuda. A storm surge will raise water levels by 6 to 8 feet above normal tides, and 5 to 8 inches of rain are expected to fall over the island through Thursday evening, the hurricane center said.