Residents of Bermuda have been preparing for Hurricane Gonzalo, which started to impact the island this morning and will continue to pummel the area for the next 12-18 hours. With maximum sustained winds at 130 mph, Gonzalo is a Category 4 but the latest forecasts from the Bermuda Weather Service indicate that it will hit the island as a "solid three, whereas at the last advisory it was a three tapering down to a two," said BWS director Kimberley Zuill in the Royal Gazette.
The latest report from the National Hurricane Center expects the eye of the storm to be "near Bermuda this afternoon or tonight." Hurricane conditions will reach Bermuda this afternoon, bringing with it storm surges that will produce significant flooding along the coast. The NHC expects "the surge to be accompanied by large and destructive waves." Rainfall accumulations are expected to be 3-6 inches across the island and storm conditions are expected to continue through 5 a.m. on Saturday.
Local government officials are recommending that residents complete their preparations early this morning. Schools have been closed, as well as the airport and public beaches. The Causeway, a narrow strip of land and bridges that links St. David's Island where the airport is located to Hamilton Parrish on the main island of Bermuda, closed at 10 a.m. Officials are not sure when it will be reopened.
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