MIAMI, United States (CMC) – Hurricane Imelda, on Thursday, is moving quickly away from Bermuda,  and is expected to  become extra tropical later during the day, the Miami-based National  Hurricane Center (NHC) said today.

It said that the storm, with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (mph) was about 170 miles east north east of the British Overseas Territory and that it is moving towards the east-northeast near 30 mph.

The Meteorological Service of Bermuda has changed the Hurricane warning for Bermuda to a tropical storm warning, meaning that  tropical storm conditions are expected during the next few hours.

Bermudian authorities are reporting that the worst of Hurricane Imelda has passed, but hurricane-force winds and gusts abound and residents are advised to stay indoors until the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) has given the green light.

The NHC said that Hurricane Imelda is expected to continue on a northeastward motion on Friday and Saturday and that “the core of Imelda will move farther away from Bermuda during the next several hours.

“Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher gusts.  Imelda is expected to become an extratropical low later today, with gradual weakening forecast for the next several days.”

It said that swells generated by Imelda are affecting the Bahamas, Bermuda, and much of the US East Coast.

“Swells from Imelda will spread toward the Greater Antilles and northern Leeward Islands on Friday and continue through the weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC warned.