Hurricane Ernesto began to pound Bermuda late Friday with heavy winds and rain after officials in the tiny British territory in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean opened shelters and closed government offices.
The storm was forecast to dump between 6 to 9 inches of rain. Forecasters noted that Ernesto was a large hurricane, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 75 miles (120 kilometres) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 275 miles (445 kilometres).
In preparation for the storm, officials in the wealthy British territory suspended public transportation and closed the airport on Friday night.
National Security Minister Michael Weeks warned of dangerous weather conditions starting late Friday, with more than 14 per cent of customers already without power and growing.
Hurricane Ernesto seriously threatens our community, he said. This is not a storm to be taken lightly.
Dangerous surf and rip currents are also possible on the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and Atlantic Canada during the next few days, according to the centre.
Ernesto was forecast to be near or east of Newfoundland by Monday night.
