Bermuda’s LF Wade international airport will shut from 8.30pm local time today (Friday) in advance of Hurricane Ernesto.
Operations are not expected to resume until Sunday “after the storm has passed and it is safe to do so,” an airport statement said.
The Foreign Office confirmed that a hurricane warning is now in effect for Bermuda, calling on travellers to stay up to date with the latest advice.
The amended travel advisory came as Hurricane Ernesto headed for the island.
The latest Atlantic hurricane is expected to pass near or over Bermuda on Saturday.
Bermuda national security minister Michael Weeks said co-ordinated action was being taken to prepare for the hurricane.
There is a “high likelihood” of a loss of electricity across the island due to hurricane-force winds and dangerous seas, he warned.
“It only needs one storm to cause significant damage and disrupt our way of life,” Weeks cautioned. “Preparations should be carried out as soon as possible.”
He warned of the “devastating effects of complacency” while urging residents to prepare for the arrival of Ernesto, which passed over Puerto Rico as a tropical storm, knocking out power to 450,000 people before strengthening into a hurricane.