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Tropical Storm Karl passes near Bermuda, turns north

Tropical Storm Karl passes near Bermuda, turns north | iNFOnews.ca
This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 at 12:45 AM EDT shows Tropical Storm Karl over Bermuda that is moving Northward. Karl is becoming more organized and expected to become a hurricane. To the South of Karl is mostly quiet weather over the Caribbean Islands with some isolated showers and thunderstorms. (NOAA/Weather Underground via AP)

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Tropical Storm Karl passed southeast of Bermuda early Saturday and lashed the island with powerful winds and squalls before turning toward the north Atlantic.

The U.S. National Hurricane Service in Miami said Karl was expected to strengthen some over the next couple of days as it moved on a track toward the open Atlantic Ocean, where the storm should become a hurricane by Sunday.

In Bermuda, the government said no injuries or major damage were reported as the Bermuda Weather Service discontinued its hurricane watch and Karl began moving away from the island. It urged residents to keep being careful with loose electrical wires, low hanging tree branches and flooding in some low-lying areas.

Bermuda’s power utility said its work crews were trying to re-establish service to about 800 homes without power in the island’s west.

The U.S. hurricane centre said tropical storm conditions should continue in Bermuda through part of Saturday, with total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches over the island during the rest of the day. Life-threatening swells and rip current conditions are expected to increase on the island in the next few days even as the storm pulls away.

Conditions had started to deteriorate in Bermuda on Friday, with heavy surf pounding the shore. The approaching storm prompted businesses and schools to close early while the government of the British territory urged people to stay off the roads during the night and into the early morning. Bermuda is accustomed to storms and some hotels planned to host hurricane parties.

The Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship was in port in Hamilton on Friday but left hours earlier than planned to avoid the storm.

The Department of Airport Operations said that both scheduled American Airlines flights into Bermuda Friday evening and outbound Saturday morning had been cancelled, but the carrier’s flights on Saturday afternoon would operate normally.

Karl’s maximum sustained winds Saturday morning were near 65 mph (100 kph) and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 115 miles (185 kilometres) from the centre.

As of 10 a.m. EDT Saturday, Karl was centred about 125 miles (205 kilometres) east-northeast of Bermuda and moving northeast at 18 mph (30 kph).

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