Hurricane Erin brings rough seas, swells toward Bermuda

Bermuda is bracing for dangerous ocean conditions as Hurricane Erin continues to churn across the Atlantic as a Category 2 storm.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Wednesday morning that Erin was about 400 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. The storm was moving north-northwest at 13 mph and is forecast to grow in size while maintaining hurricane strength through the week.

According to the NHC’s 8 a.m. advisory, Erin will shift north-northeast on Wednesday and move over the western Atlantic between the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda before tracking south of Atlantic Canada into the weekend.

Erin’s winds currently extend outward up to 90 miles from its center, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching as far as 265 miles. While the storm is not expected to make a direct hit on Bermuda, forecasters warn that the island will feel its effects in the form of large swells, rough seas, and potentially life-threatening rip currents over the next several days.

“Swells caused by the hurricane will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the east coast of the U.S.,” the hurricane center said, cautioning that hazardous surf conditions are expected to persist.

Erin is expected to strengthen on Wednesday and Thursday before beginning to weaken on Friday, the NHC said.

Bermuda’s weather authorities are urging residents and visitors to exercise caution along the island’s beaches and coastal areas, noting that strong currents and dangerous surf will pose risks even without a direct landfall.