By Ayo Johnson
HAMILTON, Bermuda | Fri Sep 7, 2012 9:08am EDT
HAMILTON, Bermuda (Reuters) - Hurricane Leslie idled on Friday, swirling over the open Atlantic on a track toward Bermuda, the wealthy British overseas territory and global reinsurance center.
Residents in the rocky archipelago stocked up on food, water - and alcohol, for traditional hurricane parties. Most government offices and all of the island's schools and beaches were closed on Friday.
Bermuda is not expected to take a direct hit from Leslie, a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Forecasts show the storm will veer on Sunday slightly east of the tiny island of 20 square miles (52 square km) with 65,000 residents.
But tropical storm-force winds are expected by Sunday morning to batter the island located 640 miles off the east coast of the United States, as the season's sixth Atlantic hurricane follows its slow trajectory northward.
Southeasterly swells have been generating hazardous surf and rip currents in Bermuda's waters since Wednesday.
Some of the island's hotels have advised guests to consider leaving early before the worst of the storm is felt.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Leslie was almost stationary, sitting about 415 miles south-southeast of Bermuda late with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.
The Bermuda Weather Service expects Leslie to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 95 mph and to pass close by the island on Sunday morning.
Farther out in the ocean, Hurricane Michael, the first Category 3 storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was downgraded to a Category 2 late on Thursday.
Michael was moving north on Friday, about 920 miles west-southwest of the Azores, and was not a threat to land.
It had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. A gradual weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, the Miami-based hurricane center said.
(Editing by David Adams and Vicki Allen)
HAMILTON, Bermuda | Fri Sep 7, 2012 9:08am EDT
HAMILTON, Bermuda (Reuters) - Hurricane Leslie idled on Friday, swirling over the open Atlantic on a track toward Bermuda, the wealthy British overseas territory and global reinsurance center.
Residents in the rocky archipelago stocked up on food, water - and alcohol, for traditional hurricane parties. Most government offices and all of the island's schools and beaches were closed on Friday.
Bermuda is not expected to take a direct hit from Leslie, a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Forecasts show the storm will veer on Sunday slightly east of the tiny island of 20 square miles (52 square km) with 65,000 residents.
But tropical storm-force winds are expected by Sunday morning to batter the island located 640 miles off the east coast of the United States, as the season's sixth Atlantic hurricane follows its slow trajectory northward.
Southeasterly swells have been generating hazardous surf and rip currents in Bermuda's waters since Wednesday.
Some of the island's hotels have advised guests to consider leaving early before the worst of the storm is felt.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Leslie was almost stationary, sitting about 415 miles south-southeast of Bermuda late with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.
The Bermuda Weather Service expects Leslie to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of 95 mph and to pass close by the island on Sunday morning.
Farther out in the ocean, Hurricane Michael, the first Category 3 storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was downgraded to a Category 2 late on Thursday.
Michael was moving north on Friday, about 920 miles west-southwest of the Azores, and was not a threat to land.
It had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. A gradual weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, the Miami-based hurricane center said.
(Editing by David Adams and Vicki Allen)
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