MIAMI, Florida (AFP) – Hurricane Igor bore down on Bermuda on Saturday, with winds of 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour expected to produce a dangerous storm surge and flooding in coastal areas, forecasters said.
The vast category two storm was on track to hit the British overseas territory on Sunday but tropical storm conditions were anticipated by Saturday evening, the US National Hurricane Center said.
“Igor is expected to remain a dangerous hurricane as it approaches Bermuda,” the center said.
At 1200 GMT, Igor was about 475 miles (765 kilometers) south of Bermuda, with hurricane force winds extending out for 105 miles (165 kilometers). Maximum sustained winds were 110 miles an hour (175 kilometer), the center said.
The storm was expected to dump five to eight inches of rain on Bermuda, and unleash “significant coastal flooding,” it said.
“The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves, especially along the southern coast,” it said.
