Hurricane Bill Continues on Course; Bermuda on Alert

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Hurricane Bill continues to follow the trajectory forecast by the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm remains a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of around 115 mph, 185 km/hr, with higher gusts.

According to the latest NHC bulletin, at 11:00 a.m. Friday, Bill’s center was located about “335 miles, 540 kms, south-southwest of Bermuda and about 755 miles, 1215 kms, southeast of Cape Hatteras North Carolina.” It is moving “toward the northwest near 18 mph, 30 km/hr. A gradual turn to the north-northwest and then north is expected later today and Saturday.” On that tack the hurricane would pass “over the open waters between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States on Saturday.

A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for Bermuda, and the NHC cautioned that “interests along the coast of New England and in the Canadian Maritimes should monitor the progress of Bill.”

The NHC said Bill “remains a large tropical cyclone. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, 185 kms, from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 290 miles, 465 kms. “Radar from Bermuda indicates that some rainbands are already affecting the island. Bill is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 1 to 3 inches over Bermuda with maximum amounts of 5 inches. Estimated minimum central pressure is 958 mb, 28.29 inches.

In addition the NHC noted that the Bermuda weather service has “forecast that the storm tide will raise water levels by as much as 3 feet above ground level along the coast along with large and dangerous battering waves.” It also noted that “large swells generated by this hurricane are affecting Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda, and should begin affecting most of the U.S. east coast and the Atlantic Maritimes of Canada during the next day or two. These swells will likely cause extremely dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents.”

Source: National Hurricane Center – www.nhc.noaa.gov

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