Hurricane Ernesto has made landfall in Bermuda, with 100mph winds and flash flooding expected.
Ernesto is one of less than a dozen hurricanes that Bermuda has seen in the last 150 years, with residents across the islands spotted boarding up their homes in preparation.
“Folks, be under no illusion. This storm is the real deal,” said Michael Weeks, Bermuda’s national security minister, said on Friday (16 August), warning locals to brace for 36 hours of hurricane conditions over the weekend.
It comes days after Ernesto hit Puerto Rico earlier this week as a tropical storm, leaving around 750,000 homes without power.
NOAA has already predicted an ‘above-average’ hurricane season for 2024, with up to 25 named storms expected in total.
Just weeks ago, Tropical Storm Debby caused widespread destruction across Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, leaving thousands without power and cars submerged.