HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Forecasters have predicted that Tropical Storm Nicole will intensify later on Tuesday and pass virtually right over Bermuda as a Category Two storm on Thursday morning.

A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning have been posted in this British Overseas Territory.

Three cruise ships have already been diverted from the island and American Airlines announced it is cancelling Wednesday’s incoming flights from New York and Miami as well as the return journeys on Thursday morning.

Service on one ferry route was cancelled on Tuesday as strong winds buffeted the island.

Hamilton docks will be closed on Wednesday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said in an 11:00 am (local time) bulletin that Nicole was strengthening and expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday night.

The NHC said Nicole is likely to dump between three and five inches of rain on Bermuda through Thursday.

The storm, situated 350 miles south of Bermuda, was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour at 11:00 am and moving north-northwest at five miles per hour (mph).

The Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) warned residents “ahead of Nicole’s approach to expect hazardous conditions including strong winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms, dangerous surf and rip currents, and very rough seas and swells building high to very high.

“Tropical-storm-force winds arrive by Wednesday evening with hurricane-force winds arriving late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.”

The Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) has already swung into action, and National Security Minister Jeff Baron has urged residents to make sure their storm supplies are topped up.

Nicole, the 14th named storm of the Atlantic season, which formed as a tropical storm south of Bermuda last Tuesday, did a U-turn on Sunday night and headed towards Bermuda.

Nicole had meandered erratically while intensifying to a Category Two hurricane with 105 miles per hour winds on Friday.

It began to weaken as it drifted further south but has roared back to life.

Bermuda’s only brush with a storm this season came last month when Tropical Storm Karl dumped around four inches of rain on the island but it caused no serious damage.