Imelda Near Category 2 Approaches Bermuda

Two Atlantic storms, Hurricane Imelda and Hurricane Humberto, are moving east-northeast away from the U.S., with Imelda intensifying to near Category 2 (winds around 80–90 mph) and Humberto weakening but remaining a hurricane. The National Hurricane Center and local authorities say Imelda is forecast to pass near or over Bermuda late Wednesday into Thursday under a hurricane warning, prompting airport, school and government closures and warnings of sustained hurricane-force winds and 2–4 inches of rain. Both storms are generating long-period swells that are producing dangerous surf, large rip currents and coastal flooding risks from Bermuda through the Bahamas to the U.S. East Coast, with forecasters warning 5–9 ft waves and significant beach erosion along Florida’s Atlantic coast through the weekend. Imelda has already produced heavy rain, flooding and deadly landslides in eastern Cuba and has prompted evacuations, power outages and school closures in parts of the Bahamas.